Comparison of classical fenton, nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA)-Fenton, UV-Fenton, UV photolysis of Fe-NTA, UV-NTA-Fenton, and UV-H2O2 for the degradation of cyclohexanoic acid

The treatment of a naphthenic acid model compound, cyclohexanoic acid, with classical Fenton, UV-H2O2, UV-Fenton, nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA)-Fenton, UV-NTA-Fenton, and UV photolysis of Fe-NTA processes at pHs 3 and 8 was investigated. At 1.47 mM H2O2, 0.089 mM Fe, and 0.18 mM NTA, the UV-NTA-Fenton process at pH 3 exhibited the highest H2O2 decomposition (100% in 25 min), CHA removal (100% in 12 min) with a rate constant of 0.27 ± 0.025 min−1, and NTA degradation (100% in 6 min). Due to the formation of H2O2-Fe(III)NTA adduct, the total Fe concentration in the UV-NTA-Fenton system (0.063 mM at the end of the reaction) at pH 8 was much higher than that in the UV photolysis of Fe(III)NTA process (0.024 mM). The co-complexing effect of borate buffer helped to keep iron soluble; however, it imposed a negative influence on the CHA degradation in the UV-NTA-Fenton process (68% CHA removal in 60 min in the borate buffer compared to 92% in MilliQ water). The results demonstrated that the most efficient process for the CHA degradation under the experimental conditions was the UV-NTA-Fenton process at pH 3.