Statistical Optimization of Electrooxidation Process for the Removal of Paracetamol from Synthetic Wastewater
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Date
2024-03
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Over the past few decades, there has been a growing interest among researchers and scientists worldwide in removing toxic substances from wastewater. Micro pollutants, in particular, have become a major public concern due to their ability to accumulate in the environment, their carcinogenic properties, and their harmful effects even at low concentrations. In this particular study, the focus was on degrading and mineralizing paracetamol, a commonly found micro pollutant, in synthetic wastewater using the electro oxidation process. To achieve this, a Ti/IrO2 coated anode and a stainless-steel cathode were utilized, and the efficiency of paracetamol removal was measured by analyzing changes in absorption spectra using a UV-VIS spectrophotometer. The researchers conducted preliminary experiments to understand the impact of various operating parameters, such as pH, paracetamol concentration, electrode distance, and current density, on the efficiency of paracetamol removal. Once the individual effects were studied, the interaction effect of these parameters and optimized them using a statistical tool called central composite design (CCD), which is a type of response surface methodology (RSM). This allowed them to determine the optimal conditions for the electro oxidation process. Based on the findings of this study, it can be concluded that the electro oxidation process using a Ti/IrO2 anode and a stainless-steel cathode presents a viable alternative treatment technology for mitigating the environmental issues caused by paracetamol contamination. The oxidation process was carried out within a pH range of 3-5, a current density range of 5-7 mA/cm2, an electrode distance range of 1-2 cm, and an initial paracetamol concentration range of 20-50 mg/L. Through the optimization process, it was found that 97.3% of paracetamol could be removed at an optimum pH of 3.7, a current density of 6.47 mA/cm2, an electrode distance of 1.12 cm, and an initial paracetamol concentration of 21.14 mg/L. However, even under these optimized conditions, only 60% of the average total organic carbon (TOC) could be removed after 40 minutes of electrolysis.
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Keywords
Electro oxidation, Micropollutants, Paracetamol, Optimization, Electrolysis, Total organic carbon, UV-VIS Spector Photometer.