Treatment of phenol wastewater by electro-Fenton oxidative degradation based on efficient iron-based-gas diffusion-photocatalysis

TL;DR

This paper presents a novel iron-based electro-Fenton photocatalytic system that significantly improves phenol wastewater degradation efficiency and energy consumption compared to traditional methods.

Contribution

The study introduces a dual-chamber electrochemical system with gas diffusion electrodes and TiO2 photocatalysis, achieving higher degradation rates and energy efficiency for phenol wastewater treatment.

Findings

92% phenol degradation in 3 hours

40% energy consumption reduction

Electrode stability over five cycles

Abstract

This study introduces a novel iron-based gas diffusion electrode-photocatalytic system aimed at enhancing the degradation of phenolic compounds in wastewater. Phenolic compounds are toxic environmental pollutants with significant resistance to biodegradation. The traditional methods for treating phenol wastewater, including biological treatments and adsorption techniques, often fall short in achieving complete mineralization. Our approach utilizes a dual-chamber electrochemical setup integrating stainless steel felt-2-EAQ gas diffusion electrodes with TiO2 photocatalysis. This combination significantly boosts hydroxyl radical production, critical for effective pollutant breakdown. Experimentally, the system achieved up to 92% degradation efficiency for phenol at an optimized operating current of 10 mA/cm^2 in 3 hours, surpassing traditional methods. Additionally, energy consumption was reduced by 40% compared to conventional electro-Fenton systems. The stability tests indicated that the electrodes maintain over 80% of their initial activity after five cycles of use. These findings suggest that our system offers a more sustainable and efficient solution for treating phenolic wastewater by enhancing both degradation rates and energy efficiency.