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An ecologically effective water treatment technique using electrochemically generated hydroxyl radicals for in situ destruction of organic pollutants: Application to herbicide 2,4-D

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Abstract

The electrochemical production of Fenton's reagent by simultaneous reduction of dioxygen and ferric ions on a carbon felt electrode, permits a controlled, in situ generation of hydroxyl (OH·) radicals. The possibility of using electrochemically produced OH⋅ radicals for solving environmental problems is investigated. Continuous and controlled production of hydroxyl radicals was achieved by electrochemical reduction of O2 in the presence of a catalytic amount of ferric or ferrous ion. These radicals are used for remediation of water containing toxic-persistent-bioaccumulative organic pollutants through their transformation into biodegradable compounds or through their mineralization into H2O and CO2. A widely used herbicide, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), was selected as a model for a toxic organic pollutant. High pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to quantify the distribution of the hydroxylated products obtained. Rate constants for the hydroxylation reactions of 2,4-D, 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP), 2,4-dichlororesorcinol (2,4-DCR) and 4,6-dichlororesorcinol (4,6-DCR) were determined. The mineralization of 2,4-D and its derivatives was followed by total organic carbon (TOC) measurements. More than 95% of 2,4-D and the intermediates generated during the electrolysis can be mineralized.

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  1. Laboratoire d'Electrochimie Moléculaire, UMR–CNRS N∘ 7591, Université Paris 7 (Denis Diderot), 2 place Jussieu, 75251, Paris Cedex 05, France

    M.A. Oturan

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Oturan, M. An ecologically effective water treatment technique using electrochemically generated hydroxyl radicals for in situ destruction of organic pollutants: Application to herbicide 2,4-D. Journal of Applied Electrochemistry 30, 475–482 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1003994428571

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