STUDY OF THE EFFICIENCY OF THE INTENSIFIED ELECTRO-FENTON/PERSULFATE PROCESS WITH IN-SITU H2O2 ELECTROGENERATION FOR EMERGING CONTAMINANT REMOVAL IN AQUEOUS MEDIUM

• Grant number: 22/14178-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: December 01, 2022
• End date: April 28, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering - Chemical Process Industries
• Principal Investigator: Antonio Carlos Silva Costa Teixeira
• Grantee: Isabela Matos Gaudio de Souza
• Host Institution: Escola Politécnica (EP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 23/08846-8 - Electrochemical degradation of fluoxetine with simultaneous electrogeneration of hydrogen peroxide and ozone, BE.EP.IC

Abstract

The presence of antidepressants in water has been a factor of environmental concern. Limited monitoring and potential risks to aquatic biota and human health allow us to consider such compounds as contaminants of emerging concern. Among antidepressants, fluoxetine hydrochloride was chosen as a model pollutant due to its high prescription and detection in water. Therefore, it is evident the need to propose treatment alternatives that can not only degrade, but also mineralize this type of contaminant in aqueous effluents. In this sense, advanced oxidative processes (AOP) have shown to be an interesting option for the degradation of emerging contaminants, especially when conducted in an intensified manner, promoting a synergy of reactions and processes for the removal of contaminants. The application of processes promoted by electric current has shown to be a promising way of degradation, mainly when combined with in-situ hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) electrogeneration and Fenton reactions. In this context, the present project aims to investigate the efficiency of an innovative proposal that combines the electro-Fenton process with the addition of persulfate (PS) and in-situ H2O2 electrogeneration for the degradation of the model contaminant fluoxetine.