Acetaminophen degradation by electro-Fenton and photoelectro-Fenton using a double cathode electrochemical cell

Highlights: ► The electro-Fenton reactor using a double cathode electrochemical cell was applied. ► The initial Fe2+ concentration was the most significant parameter for the acetaminophen degradation. ► Thirteen intermediates were identified and a degradation pathway was proposed. - Abstract: Acetaminophen is a widely used drug worldwide and is one of the most frequently detected in bodies of water making it a high priority trace pollutant. This study investigated the applicability of the electro-Fenton and photoelectro-Fenton processes using a double cathode electrochemical cell in the treatment of acetaminophen containing wastewater. The Box–Behnken design was used to determine the effects of initial Fe2+ and H2O2 concentrations and applied current density. Results showed that all parameters positively affected the degradation efficiency of acetaminophen with the initial Fe2+ concentration being the most significant parameter for both processes. The acetaminophen removal efficiency for electro-Fenton was 98% and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal of 43% while a 97% acetaminophen removal and 42% COD removal were observed for the photoelectro-Fenton method operated at optimum conditions. The electro-Fenton process was only able to obtain 19% total organic carbon (TOC) removal while the photoelectro-Fenton process obtained 20%. Due to negligible difference between the treatment efficiencies of the two processes, the electro-Fenton method was proven to be more economically advantageous. The models obtained from the study were applicable to a wide range of acetaminophen concentrations and can be used in scale-ups. Thirteen different types of intermediates were identified and a degradation pathway was proposed.