Designing NAZO@BC electrodes for enhanced elimination of hydrophilic organic pollutants in heterogeneous electro-Fenton system: Insights into the detoxification mediated by 1O2 and •OH

Chao Zhang; Dionysios D Dionysiou; Feng Li; Huike Zhang; Xiaozhou Fang; Hengyi Fu; Junyi He; Long Chen; Guang-Guo Ying; Mingzhi Huang

doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.128598

Designing NAZO@BC electrodes for enhanced elimination of hydrophilic organic pollutants in heterogeneous electro-Fenton system: Insights into the detoxification mediated by ¹O₂ and •OH

J Hazard Mater. 2022 Jun 5:431:128598. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.128598. Epub 2022 Feb 26.

Authors

Chao Zhang¹, Dionysios D Dionysiou², Feng Li³, Huike Zhang⁴, Xiaozhou Fang¹, Hengyi Fu¹, Junyi He¹, Long Chen⁵, Guang-Guo Ying⁶, Mingzhi Huang⁷

Affiliations

¹ School of Civil Engineering & Transportation, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, PR China.
² Environmental Engineering and Science Program, Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering (ChEE), University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0012, USA.
³ School of Civil Engineering & Transportation, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, PR China. Electronic address: hjlifeng@scut.edu.cn.
⁴ SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, School of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, PR China; SCNU Qingyuan Institute of Science and Technology Innovation Co, Ltd, Qingyuan 511517, PR China.
⁵ Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA. Electronic address: lchen065@ucr.edu.
⁶ SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, School of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, PR China.
⁷ SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, School of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, PR China; School of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Quanzhou Normal University, Quanzhou, Fujian 362000, PR China; SCNU Qingyuan Institute of Science and Technology Innovation Co, Ltd, Qingyuan 511517, PR China. Electronic address: mingzhi.huang@m.scnu.edu.cn.

PMID: 35278962
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.128598

Abstract

Hydrophilic organic pollutants (HLOPs) in effluents of wastewater treatment plants are more prevalent than hydrophobic counterparts, therefore development of upstream processes that can effectively enhance the removal of HLOPs can substantially enhance overall treatment performance. To bridge this gap, 3D electrodes made of biochar-supported Al-ZnO nanoparticles (NAZO@BC) applied in heterogeneous electro-Fenton (EF) system, abbreviated as NBE-EF system, is rationally designed for enhanced elimination of HLOPs in wastewater. Our analysis indicates the NBE-EF system results in an efficient THM elimination, 42.4 times greater than that of conventional EF system. MoS₂ as an efficient cocatalyst plays an important role in the conversion from Fe(III) to Fe(II). Singlet oxygen (¹O₂) and hydroxyl radical (•OH) are identified as the primary reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the NBE-EF system. NAZO@BC electrodes could concentrate HLOPs on their surface and degrade it effectively, achieving also a self-cleaning effect. Effective elimination of four HLOPs, i.e., thiamethoxam (THM), dinotefuran (DIN), nitenpyram (NIT), and acetamiprid (ACE), demonstrated the high degradation performance of the NBE-EF system, even at neutral and alkaline conditions. This study provides a new approach for enhanced elimination of HLOPs in wastewater treatment and mechanical insights into degradation pathways and toxicity attenuation.

Keywords: Degradation mechanism; Electro-Fenton; Electrode modification; Hydrophilic organic pollutant; Neonicotinoids.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Electrodes
Environmental Pollutants*
Ferric Compounds
Hydrogen Peroxide / chemistry
Oxidation-Reduction
Water Pollutants, Chemical* / chemistry

Substances

Environmental Pollutants
Ferric Compounds
Water Pollutants, Chemical
Hydrogen Peroxide