Application of solar-fenton process in lindan degradation from wastewater

Abstract

Over the past two decades, environmental regulations have become increasingly stringent because of increased awareness of human health and ecological risks associated with environmental pollutants like pesticides, especially Lindane. Due to its high resistance to microbial degradation, this pollutant having carcinogenic and mutagenic properties has been accumulated into environment polluting ground and surface water. Because application of classical treatment cannot allow an easy Lindane degradation, development of more powerful water treatment techniques, like Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs) is necessary. Combination of H2O2 with Fe2 +under UV-VIS irradiation, the so-called solar-Fenton process is one of the AOPs successfully applied, which can significantly enhance degradation of many refractory organic compounds, based on the oxidant action of in-situ generated OH• radicals upon pollutants. It was investigated the degradation of Lindane from wastewater by solar-Fenton process and the assessment of the working parameters on the degradation efficiency. The photooxidadation experiments were performed at pH=3 and tens μg/L pollutant initial concentration, in a tubular collector type solar photoreactor (26 UV-VIS permeable silica glass tubes series connected), plugged in a total recycle loops. Based on the obtained results it was established the treatment solution for advanced degradation of Lindane from wastewater up to the limits immposed by national and european legislation for surface receivers (Lindane ≤ 0.02μg/L).