Magnetite, Hematite and Zero-Valent Iron as Co-Catalysts in Advanced Oxidation Processes Application for Cosmetic Wastewater Treatment

Background: There is a need for more effective methods of industrial wastewater treatment. Methods: Cosmetic wastewater was collected and subjected to H2O2/Fe3O4/Fe2O3/Fe-0 and UV/H2O2/Fe3O4/Fe2O3/Fe-0 process treatment. Results: Total organic carbon (TOC) was decreased from an initial 306.3 to 134.1 mg/L, 56.2% TOC removal, after 120 min of treatment for 1:1 H2O2/COD mass ratio and 500/500/1000 mg/L Fe3O4/Fe2O3/Fe-0 catalyst doses. The application chromatographic analysis allowed for the detection and identification of pollutants present in the wastewater. Identified pollutants were removed during the treatment processes. Processes carried out at a pH greater than 3.0 were ineffective. The UV process was more effective than the lightless process. Conclusions: The applied processes are effective methods for wastewater treatment. Chromatographic results confirmed the effectiveness of the treatment method. The kinetics of the process were described by the modified second-order model. On the basis of ANOVA results, the hypothesis regarding the accuracy and reproducibility of the research was confirmed.

Automated summary

The study demonstrates that the H2O2/Fe3O4/Fe2O3/Fe-0 and UV/H2O2/Fe3O4/Fe2O3/Fe-0 processes are effective methods for wastewater treatment, with the UV process proving to be more effective. Chromatographic analysis can be used to detect and identify pollutants in wastewater.