Applying gas diffusion electrodes supported on carbon tissue for the treatment of antibiotic contaminated wastewater

• Grant number: 21/06129-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: August 01, 2021
• End date: June 28, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Sanitary Engineering - Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment
• Principal Investigator: Marcos Roberto de Vasconcelos Lanza
• Grantee: Beatriz Tavoloni Marin
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química de São Carlos (IQSC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 17/10118-0 - Study and application of electrochemical technology for the analysis and degradation of endocrine interferents: materials, sensors, processes and scientific dissemination, AP.TEM
• Associated scholarship(s): 22/15491-9 - Application of gas diffusion electrode supported on carbon cloth for the co-generation of oxidizing radicals in an electrochemical reactor for degradation of antibiotic, BE.EP.IC

Abstract

The contamination of water and wastewater by antibiotics can cause several problems to humans and animal life, since, due to their action as endocrine interferons, they can cause the increase of microbial resistance in aquatic environments, as well as lower efficiency of conventional effluent treatments. To resolve this, electrochemical technology is an efficient alternative, as it has high efficiency for the removal of recalcitrant compounds, such as antibiotics, by using a free hydroxyl radical (-OH), which is generated from hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in a gas diffusion electrode (EDG). These electrodes are usually synthesized between two stainless steel metal screens with a large amount of catalytic mass at high pressures and temperatures. However, in this project a carbon fabric supported EDG will be developed and aims to optimize standards such as the amount and composition of the catalytic mass, the pressure, and temperature. All this is in addition to boosting the electro-generation of H2O2, in electrochemical cells, and increasing the efficiency of the electrochemical treatment in the degradation of antibiotics, such as Sulfamethoxazole. For this, monitoring will be evaluated using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with UV/Vis detector, total organic carbon (TOC) content, and ion chromatography (IC). (AU)