Nadia Gadi, Allisson Barros de Souza, Nadine C. Boelee, Deirdre Cabooter and Raf Dewil
{"title":"Elimination of miconazole nitrate from water by electro-Fenton: effect of operating parameters and degradation pathway†","authors":"Nadia Gadi, Allisson Barros de Souza, Nadine C. Boelee, Deirdre Cabooter and Raf Dewil","doi":"10.1039/D4EW00508B","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p >This study investigates the removal of miconazole, a widely used pharmaceutical, from water using the electro-Fenton process. By systematically evaluating key parameters such as applied current intensity (10–500 mA), catalyst concentration (0.1–1.0 mM Fe<small><sup>2+</sup></small>), and water matrix composition, optimal conditions for maximizing pollutant removal efficiency were identified. The highest first-order oxidation rate constant of 36.4 × 10<small><sup>−2</sup></small> min<small><sup>−1</sup></small> was achieved under optimal conditions, demonstrating the efficiency of the electro-Fenton process. Total organic carbon (TOC) removal reached a maximum of 90% after 180 min of treatment, indicating significant mineralization of the pollutant. Ten major aromatic oxidation intermediates were identified using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS), providing valuable insight into the degradation pathways. This study stands out for its comprehensive optimization of key parameters, ensuring robust and practical application of the electro-Fenton process for pharmaceutical removal. Achieving 90% TOC removal and a high oxidation rate constant (36.4 × 10<small><sup>−2</sup></small> min<small><sup>−1</sup></small>) demonstrates superior mineralization efficiency. The identification of ten major degradation intermediates <em>via</em> UHPLC-HRMS provides valuable insight into pollutant breakdown pathways. Additionally, by considering real water matrix effects, this work enhances the practical applicability of electro-Fenton in sustainable wastewater treatment. The obtained results highlight the electro-Fenton process as an effective and promising technology for the removal and mineralization of pharmaceutical contaminants from water, contributing to the advancement of sustainable wastewater treatment solutions.</p>","PeriodicalId":75,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology","volume":" 8","pages":" 1898-1908"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1000,"publicationDate":"2025-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/ew/d4ew00508b?page=search","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology","FirstCategoryId":"93","ListUrlMain":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2025/ew/d4ew00508b","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"ENGINEERING, ENVIRONMENTAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
This study investigates the removal of miconazole, a widely used pharmaceutical, from water using the electro-Fenton process. By systematically evaluating key parameters such as applied current intensity (10–500 mA), catalyst concentration (0.1–1.0 mM Fe2+), and water matrix composition, optimal conditions for maximizing pollutant removal efficiency were identified. The highest first-order oxidation rate constant of 36.4 × 10−2 min−1 was achieved under optimal conditions, demonstrating the efficiency of the electro-Fenton process. Total organic carbon (TOC) removal reached a maximum of 90% after 180 min of treatment, indicating significant mineralization of the pollutant. Ten major aromatic oxidation intermediates were identified using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS), providing valuable insight into the degradation pathways. This study stands out for its comprehensive optimization of key parameters, ensuring robust and practical application of the electro-Fenton process for pharmaceutical removal. Achieving 90% TOC removal and a high oxidation rate constant (36.4 × 10−2 min−1) demonstrates superior mineralization efficiency. The identification of ten major degradation intermediates via UHPLC-HRMS provides valuable insight into pollutant breakdown pathways. Additionally, by considering real water matrix effects, this work enhances the practical applicability of electro-Fenton in sustainable wastewater treatment. The obtained results highlight the electro-Fenton process as an effective and promising technology for the removal and mineralization of pharmaceutical contaminants from water, contributing to the advancement of sustainable wastewater treatment solutions.
期刊介绍:
Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology seeks to showcase high quality research about fundamental science, innovative technologies, and management practices that promote sustainable water.