Application of Electro-Fenton (EF) Process to the Removal of Pentachlorophenol from Aqueous Solutions

Pentachlorophenol (PCP) is a very hazardous compound which enters into the environment byindustries such as refineries and petrochemicals. As its biological degradation is very slow, this usemay cause the pollution of soils and groundwater; with the recent emergence of pentachlorophenolcontamination as an important drinking water quality issue, finding an easy, economical, and usefulmethod to remove it has been attracted interest. In this study, the performance of an electro-Fentonprocess (EFP) for the elimination of PCP from an aquatic environment was evaluated. The effects ofimportant operational variables such as reaction time, pH, the applied voltage, and the distancebetween the electrodes on the degradation of solution were investigated. The maximum PCP removalwas obtained at a distance of 3 cm, a pH of 3, a voltage of 24 volt, and the treatment time of 40 min.This study demonstrated that the distance between the electrodes, pH, the applied voltage, and thetreatment time have significant effects on the electron-Fenton process and this process is suitable forthe treatment of PCP-polluted waste waters.

Keywords:

PCP , Electro-Fenton Process , Aquatic Environment , Biological Degradation