Catalytic detoxification of pharmaceutical wastewater by Fenton-like reaction with activated alumina supported CoMnAl composite metal oxides catalyst

For detoxification and improving the biodegradability of pharmaceutical wastewater, fenton process is an attractive method for detoxification of pharmaceutical wastewater, especially when the reaction can be conducted at neutral pH values. In this study, activated alumina supported CoMnAl composite metal oxides (CoMnAl-CMO-Al2O3) were prepared and employed in Fenton-like reaction for detoxification of pharmaceutical wastewater, and the catalysts were characterized by N-2-BrunauereEmmetteTeller (BET), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The results of catalyst activity experiment indicated that Co and Mn on the surface of CoMnAl-CMO-Al2O3 present synergistic effects on the efficient generation of HO%, and CoMnAl-CMO-Al2O3/H2O2 Fenton-like system was very effective for pharmaceutical wastewater detoxification at a wide pH range. Typically, pharmaceutical wastewater was disposed under the coexistence of 30 g L-1 of catalyst and 9 g L-1 of H2O2 within 3 h at 25 degrees C, about 35% total organic carbon (TOC) was removed and the ratio of biochemical oxygen demand to chemical oxygen demand (B/C) increased from 0.173 to 0.464.