Novel Ti/RuO_2IrO_2 anode to reduce the dangerousness of antibiotic polluted urines by Fenton-based processes

摘要

The treatment of hospital wastewater is very complex, so treating polluted human urine is a significant challenge. Here, we tested a novel MMO-Ti/RuO2IrO2 electrode to reduce the ecotoxicity risk of hospital urines contaminated with antibiotics. This electrode was used as the anode in electro-Fenton (EF) and photoelectro-Fenton (PhEF) processes. The results were compared with those obtained using the boron-doped diamond (BDD) anode, as well as those obtained by a conventional Fenton oxidation. In order to analyze the performance of the processes, the treatments were evaluated on the subject of Penicilin G (PenG) removal, toxicity (using a standardized method with Vibrio Fisheri), and antibiotic activity (Enterococcus faecalis as the target bacterium). The results reveal that PenG degrades in the following order: Fenton EF PhEF. The best results are found for the MMO-PhEF, which completely removed PenG, decreased 96% of toxicity, and completely removed antibiotic activity. Besides, for comparison, tests were performed with BDD, and results point out the higher convenience of the new electrode in terms of acceptable use of energy because the effluents generated can be further degraded in an urban wastewater treatment plant. Because of that, MMO-RuO2-IrO2 emerges as a promising cost-effective material for the pre-treatment of hospital urine effluents. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.