Cephalexin degradation applying electro-Fenton process using magnetite electrodeposited in steel mesh and DSA electrode

Abstract

The increasing use of antibiotics and their low removal in the biological processes of sewage treatment result in their presence in effluents from water treatment plants. Antibiotics cause severe environmental contamination with consequences for the aquatic biota and human health even at low concentrations. Because of the wide use of cephalexin worldwide and in the growing interest in advanced oxidative processes in conjunction with other pollutant degradation methods, this exchange project proposes the study of antibiotic degradation by an emerging electrified water treatment technology that enables continuous use of fixed catalysts: heterogeneous electro-Fenton. Conventional processes based on Fenton chemistry are advanced oxidation processes capable of mineralizing organic pollutants but suffer of narrow pH range of application and the need of catalyst and chemical addition. This collaborative project will merge the advances on heterogeneous catalysts based on electrodeposited magnetite developed in Brazil, with the know-how on electrified processes of the host group in USA. The work will explore impact of treatment parameters on the removal of cephalexin (e.g., pH, electrolye, antibiotic concentration, applied current, electrodic system, anode selection) along with the sustained performance and reusability of the catalyst in Fenton and electro-Fenton systems. (AU)