Fenton's Oxidation of Personal Care Product (PCP) Wastewater: A Kinetic Study and the Effects of System Parameters

Personal care products (PCPs) are considered an emerging class of pollutants, and PCP wastewater is classified as hazardous because it contains organic compounds, which are linked to high chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentrations. PCP wastewater is dangerous when discharged into rivers without treatment, which entails oxidizing complex organic compounds into simpler compounds using advanced oxidation technology (AOT). Fenton's reagent is composed of Fe2+ and H2O2 and can oxidize organic compounds, thus reducing COD concentrations. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of the AOT method by calculating COD removal in wastewater; analyze the effect of the Fe2+/H2O2 ratio, H2O2 concentration, and system pH; develop a kinetics model of COD reduction; and analyze the cost of PCP wastewater treatment. The parameters used in the study are Fe2+/H2O2 ratio, H2O2 concentration, and pH. The results of this study show that the highest level of COD removal was 88.59% at a Fe2+/H2O2 ratio of 9% w/w, a H2O2 concentration of six times the COD concentration, and a pH value of 3. The reaction followed pseudo-first-order reaction kinetics, and the reaction rate constant was 0.021 min(-1). At a flow rate of 15 m(3)/day, which is applicable in an industrial site, the required reactor volume in a continuous system is less than that for a batch system. The required reactor volume for a plug flow reactor and a batch reactor are 1.625 m(3) and 2.25 m(3), respectively. The estimated cost to treat 1 liter of wastewater is IDR 1,385.

Automated summary

Personal care products (PCPs) are considered emerging pollutants, and their wastewater is classified as hazardous due to the presence of organic compounds with high COD concentrations. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of advanced oxidation technology (AOT) in removing COD, analyze the impact of Fe2+/H2O2 ratio, H2O2 concentration, and system pH, develop a kinetics model, and assess the cost of treating PCP wastewater.