A review on the application strategies of electrooxidation technology for landfill leachate treatment

Landfill leachate treatment remains a significant environmental challenge due to its complex composition and high pollutant concentrations. Electrochemical oxidation (EO) has emerged as an effective method for leachate treatment, offering advantages such as strong oxidation capability, mild reaction conditions, and no secondary pollution. However, current research primarily focuses on modifying anode materials, with limited comparative studies across different types and insufficient attention to process design for real-world applications. To address these gaps, this review thoroughly examines the degradation mechanisms of pollutants during EO, including direct oxidation pathways and indirect oxidation mediated by multiple reactive species. It also systematically analyzes the properties of boron-doped diamond (BDD) and various dimensionally stable anodes (DSA) in activating reactive species for landfill leachate treatment. Four practical processes that combine EO with other technologies are proposed, along with a discussion of their respective advantages, disadvantages, and suitable application scenarios. Additionally, we discussed the formation mechanisms of chlorinated by-products in EO and engineering control strategies to mitigate secondary pollution. This review provides a comprehensive reference for selecting and optimizing anode materials, offering valuable insights into the design of hybrid processes to enhance treatment efficiency and improve real-world applicability.