Applying electro-Fenton process as an alternative to a slaughterhouse effluent treatment

• The electro-Fenton treatment carried out involved chemical oxidation and coagulation.
• The electro-Fenton treatment of this effluent was a very rapid process.
• The different systems achieved similar removal efficiencies of chemical oxygen demand.
• Chemical oxidation was the main removal mechanism in this electro-Fenton treatment.
• Time, pH and (Fe2 +)o were significant factors in the electrochemical treatment.

Electrochemical oxidation of the effluent of a slaughterhouse facility by electrolysis under galvanostatic control was studied using Ti-RuO2/carbon felt (CF), Ti-PdPtOx/CF and BDD/CF cells by electro-Fenton at constant current density. Electrode material and the applied current density are significant parameters on oxidative degradation of pollutants in wastewater. It was found that pollutants of the effluent were oxidized to simple substrates and CO2 with different results, obtaining good removal efficiencies of chemical oxygen demand of 83.5%, 77.9% and 74.3%, for the Ti-RuO2/CF, Ti-PdPtOx/CF and BDD/CF systems, respectively. Trends in degradation depend on the production of hydroxyl radicals (OH) on the anodic materials and coagulation as confirmed by this study. Efficiency of electrochemical oxidation process was tested by carrying out chemical oxygen demand (COD) determinations. Additional operating parameters such as pH, initial ferrous concentration and electrolysis time were also evaluated.