Activated Carbon As a Cathode for Water Disinfection Through the Electro-Fenton Process

Overview

Journal Catalysts

Date 2020 Mar 11

PMID 32154035

Citations 2

Authors

Long Chen

Ameet Pinto

Akram N Alshawabkeh

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Unlike many other water disinfection methods, hydroxyl radicals (HO) produced by the Fenton reaction (Fe/HO) can inactivate pathogens regardless of taxonomic identity of genetic potential and do not generate halogenated disinfection by-products. Hydrogen peroxide (HO) required for the process is typically electrogenerated using various carbonaceous materials as cathodes. However, high costs and necessary modifications to the cathodes still present a challenge to large-scale implementation. In this work, we use granular activated carbon (GAC) as a cathode to generate HO for water disinfection through the electro-Fenton process. GAC is a low-cost amorphous carbon with abundant oxygen- and carbon-containing groups that are favored for oxygen reduction into HO. Results indicate that HO production at the GAC cathode is higher with more GAC, lower pH, and smaller reactor volume. Through the addition of iron ions, the electrogenerated HO is transformed into HO that efficiently inactivated model pathogen () under various water chemistry conditions. Chick-Watson modeling results further showed the strong lethality of produced HO from the electro-Fenton process. This inactivation coupled with high HO yield, excellent reusability, and relatively low cost of GAC proves that GAC is a promising cathodic material for large-scale water disinfection.

Citing Articles

New Insights on Designing the Next-Generation Materials for Electrochemical Synthesis of Reactive Oxidative Species Towards Efficient and Scalable Water Treatment: A Review and Perspectives.

Taqieddin A, Sarrouf S, Ehsan M, Alshawabkeh A J Environ Chem Eng. 2024; 11(6).

PMID: 38186676 PMC: 10769459. DOI: 10.1016/j.jece.2023.111384.

Bacterial Disinfection by CuFeO Nanoparticles Enhanced by NHOH: A Mechanistic Study.

Gu Y, Xiao F, Luo L, Zhou X, Zhou X, Li J Nanomaterials (Basel). 2019; 10(1).

PMID: 31861627 PMC: 7022556. DOI: 10.3390/nano10010018.

References

Piddock L . Clinically relevant chromosomally encoded multidrug resistance efflux pumps in bacteria. Clin Microbiol Rev. 2006; 19(2):382-402. PMC: 1471989. DOI: 10.1128/CMR.19.2.382-402.2006. View

Doederer K, Gernjak W, Weinberg H, Farre M . Factors affecting the formation of disinfection by-products during chlorination and chloramination of secondary effluent for the production of high quality recycled water. Water Res. 2013; 48:218-28. DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2013.09.034. View

Xiong Y, He C, Karlsson H, Zhu X . Performance of three-phase three-dimensional electrode reactor for the reduction of COD in simulated wastewater-containing phenol. Chemosphere. 2003; 50(1):131-6. DOI: 10.1016/s0045-6535(02)00609-4. View

Mamane H, Shemer H, Linden K . Inactivation of E. coli, B. subtilis spores, and MS2, T4, and T7 phage using UV/H2O2 advanced oxidation. J Hazard Mater. 2007; 146(3):479-86. DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2007.04.050. View

Dabrowski A, Podkoscielny P, Hubicki Z, Barczak M . Adsorption of phenolic compounds by activated carbon--a critical review. Chemosphere. 2005; 58(8):1049-70. DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2004.09.067. View

Chen L, Tang M, Chen C, Chen M, Luo K, Xu J . Efficient Bacterial Inactivation by Transition Metal Catalyzed Auto-Oxidation of Sulfite. Environ Sci Technol. 2017; 51(21):12663-12671. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.7b03705. View

Cho M, Lee Y, Chung H, Yoon J . Inactivation of Escherichia coli by photochemical reaction of ferrioxalate at slightly acidic and near-neutral pHs. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2004; 70(2):1129-34. PMC: 348899. DOI: 10.1128/AEM.70.2.1129-1134.2004. View

Liu C, Olivares C, Pinto A, Lauderdale C, Brown J, Selbes M . The control of disinfection byproducts and their precursors in biologically active filtration processes. Water Res. 2017; 124:630-653. DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2017.07.080. View

Chance B, GREENSTEIN D, ROUGHTON F . The mechanism of catalase action. I. Steady-state analysis. Arch Biochem Biophys. 1952; 37(2):301-21. DOI: 10.1016/0003-9861(52)90194-x. View

10.

Oguma K, Katayama H, Mitani H, Morita S, Hirata T, Ohgaki S . Determination of pyrimidine dimers in Escherichia coli and Cryptosporidium parvum during UV light inactivation, photoreactivation, and dark repair. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2001; 67(10):4630-7. PMC: 93213. DOI: 10.1128/AEM.67.10.4630-4637.2001. View

11.

Ikai H, Nakamura K, Shirato M, Kanno T, Iwasawa A, Sasaki K . Photolysis of hydrogen peroxide, an effective disinfection system via hydroxyl radical formation. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2010; 54(12):5086-91. PMC: 2981275. DOI: 10.1128/AAC.00751-10. View

12.

Yoon Y, Chung H, Di D, Dodd M, Hur H, Lee Y . Inactivation efficiency of plasmid-encoded antibiotic resistance genes during water treatment with chlorine, UV, and UV/HO. Water Res. 2017; 123:783-793. DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2017.06.056. View

13.

Stadtman E . Metal ion-catalyzed oxidation of proteins: biochemical mechanism and biological consequences. Free Radic Biol Med. 1990; 9(4):315-25. DOI: 10.1016/0891-5849(90)90006-5. View

14.

Panizza M, CERISOLA G . Removal of organic pollutants from industrial wastewater by electrogenerated Fenton's reagent. Water Res. 2002; 35(16):3987-92. DOI: 10.1016/s0043-1354(01)00135-x. View

15.

Cabiscol E, Tamarit J, Ros J . Oxidative stress in bacteria and protein damage by reactive oxygen species. Int Microbiol. 2000; 3(1):3-8. View

16.

Brillas E, Sires I, Oturan M . Electro-Fenton process and related electrochemical technologies based on Fenton's reaction chemistry. Chem Rev. 2009; 109(12):6570-631. DOI: 10.1021/cr900136g. View

17.

Dias J, Alvim-Ferraz M, F Almeida M, Rivera-Utrilla J, Sanchez-Polo M . Waste materials for activated carbon preparation and its use in aqueous-phase treatment: a review. J Environ Manage. 2007; 85(4):833-46. DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2007.07.031. View

18.

Rodriguez R, Bounty S, Beck S, Chan C, McGuire C, Linden K . Photoreactivation of bacteriophages after UV disinfection: role of genome structure and impacts of UV source. Water Res. 2014; 55:143-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2014.01.065. View

19.

Rajab M, Heim C, Letzel T, Drewes J, Helmreich B . Electrochemical disinfection using boron-doped diamond electrode--the synergetic effects of in situ ozone and free chlorine generation. Chemosphere. 2014; 121:47-53. DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2014.10.075. View

20.

Zhang X, Huang Y, Chen X, Gao Q, Zhang W . Nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes based on melamine-formaldehyde resin as highly efficient catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction. J Colloid Interface Sci. 2017; 509:1-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2017.08.096. View