Modelling photo-Fenton process for organic matter mineralization, hydrogen peroxide consumption and dissolved oxygen evolution

A kinetics model with lumped components and TOC fractionation is proposed to track paracetamol degradation, as a model pollutant, using the photo-Fenton process. The proposed structure shows acceptable predictive capabilities regarding hydrogen peroxide consumption, TOC mineralization and dissolved oxygen evolution. The number of model parameters is considered assumable in calibrating other pollutants and degradation mixtures when applying this technology. This study covers a pollutant load range between 4 and 25 mM of TOC. The Fe2+ initial load varied between 0.089 and 0.44 mM whilst the initial H2O2 concentration tested ranged from 9 mM to 45 mM. The influence of light intensity was considered explicitly within the model whilst temperature and pH conditions were held constant. The fixed structure model, containing 9 kinetic parameters and 3 stoichiometric coefficients, was later applied to a pollutant mixture with a successful prediction of hydrogen peroxide and TOC profiles.

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► A kinetics model for TOC mineralization using the photo-Fenton process is proposed.
► The model shows predictive capabilities regarding dissolved oxygen evolution.
► Variable ranges were 4–25 mM for TOC, 0.089–0.44 mM for Fe2+ and 9–45 mM for H2O2.
► The influence of light intensity was considered explicitly within the model.
► The model was later applied to a pollutant mixture successfully.