Environmental application of an industrial waste as catalyst for the electro-Fenton-like treatment of organic pollutants

The application of acid mine drainage sludge (AMDS), an industrial waste with high metal content, as catalyst for the electro-Fenton-like technology on the treatment of organic polluted effluents has been investigated. The study has demonstrated the potential use of this waste using dye Lissamine Green B as a model contaminant, which allowed the optimization of sludge dosage and pH. AMDS proved to perform a high decoloration rate at pH 2, however, acidic conditions favored metal leaching. Alginate gel beads were selected to immobilize AMDS and to avoid metal release and the wash out of the reactor operating in continuous mode. This developed catalyst showed high reliability and efficiency in successive batches. The efficacy of the established treatment was also verified on the degradation of pesticide pirimicarb and a degradation pathway was determined by LC-MS studies.