Natural iron minerals in an electrocatalytic oxidation system and in situ pollutant removal in groundwater: Applications, mechanisms, and challenges

Ganning Zeng; Ji Wang; Mengzheng Dai; Yutong Meng; Hongwei Luo; Qian Zhou; Liangyu Lin; Kunpeng Zang; Zhu Meng; Xiangliang Pan

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.161826

Natural iron minerals in an electrocatalytic oxidation system and in situ pollutant removal in groundwater: Applications, mechanisms, and challenges

Sci Total Environ. 2023 May 1:871:161826. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.161826. Epub 2023 Jan 26.

Authors

Ganning Zeng¹, Ji Wang², Mengzheng Dai³, Yutong Meng², Hongwei Luo², Qian Zhou², Liangyu Lin⁴, Kunpeng Zang⁵, Zhu Meng², Xiangliang Pan⁶

Affiliations

¹ College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China; Key Laboratory of Ocean Space Resource Management Technology, MNR, Hangzhou 310012, China.
² College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China.
³ College of Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China.
⁴ Key Laboratory of Ocean Space Resource Management Technology, MNR, Hangzhou 310012, China; Zhejiang Academic of Marine Science, Hangzhou 310012, China.
⁵ Zhejiang Carbon Neutral Innovation Institute, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China.
⁶ College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China. Electronic address: panxl@zjut.edu.cn.

PMID: 36708820
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.161826

Abstract

Natural iron-bearing minerals are widely distributed in the environment and show prominent catalytic performance in pollutant removal. This work provides an overview of groundwater restoration technologies utilizing heterogeneous electro-Fenton (HEF) techniques with the aid of different iron forms as catalysts. In particular, applications of natural iron-bearing minerals in groundwater in the HEF system have been thoroughly summarized from either the view of organic pollutant removal or degradation. Based on the analysis of the catalytic mechanism in the HEF process by pyrite (FeS₂), goethite (α-FeOOH), and magnetite (Fe₃O₄) and the geochemistry analysis of these natural iron-bearing minerals in groundwater, the feasibility and challenges of HEF for organic degradation by using typical iron minerals in groundwater have been discussed, and natural factors affecting the HEF process have been analyzed so that appropriate in situ remedial measures can be applied to contaminated groundwater.

Keywords: Electro-Fenton; Groundwater; Hydroxyl radical; Iron.

Publication types

Review