Fe-exchanged zeolite as the effective heterogeneous Fenton-type catalyst for the organic pollutant minimization: UV irradiation assistance

The issue of investigations in this study was an application of heterogeneous Fenton-type catalyst, Fe-exchanged zeolite FeZSM5, for the minimization of phenol and overall organic content in the model wastewater. Applied treatment systems included variation of heterogeneous and homogeneous Fenton-type catalyst with and without the assistance of UV irradiation, FeZSM5/H2O2, Fe2+/H2O2/NH4ZSM5, Fe3+/H2O2/NH4ZSM5, UV/FeZSM5/H2O2, UV/Fe2+/H2O2/NH4ZSM5 and UV/Fe3+/H2O2/NH4ZSM5. Processes efficiency was evaluated on the basis of phenol removal, mineralization extent, H2O2 consumption and concentration of iron ions in the bulk after the treatment. By all applied systems, complete phenol removal was achieved in less than 30 min of treatment time. Systems including heterogeneous Fenton-type catalyst showed somewhat lower mineralization efficiency in comparison to the corresponding systems applying homogeneous Fenton-type catalysts and the addition of synthetic zeolite NH4ZSM5. Significantly lower concentration of iron ions in the bulk after the treatment could give these systems, particularly UV/FeZSM5/H2O2, a great advantage over the homogeneous Fenton-type systems.