UV assisted electrochemical technologies for the removal of oxyfluorfen from soil washing wastes

- Photo-electrolysis can mineralize completely soil washing fluids.
- Photolysis only produces a very soft oxidation of soil washing fluids.
- Mineralization of oxyfluorfen by electrolysis is improved with UV irradiation.
- Mineralization of SDS by electrolysis is almost not affected by the UV irradiation.
- Sulfate released by the oxidation of SDS catalyzes photo-electrolysis.

In this work, it is studied the treatment of soil polluted with oxyfluorfen by Surfactant-Aided Soil-Washing (SASW) and after that, photo-electrolysis was used for the treatment of the soil-washing fluid produced. This liquid waste is characterized by the high concentration of micelles of pesticide and surfactant (sodium dodecyl sulfate, SDS), whose initial size depends on the ratio soil-surfactant used in the soil washing treatment. The waste treatment is studied in terms of the decrease in size of the particles and the depletion of the pollutants. Results clearly demonstrate that photo-electrolysis with diamond electrodes is a very effective treatment technology with results that overcome those obtained by single photolysis and/or single electrolysis with diamond electrodes. The greater improvements attained by combining UV irradiation to the electrolysis were observed in the removal of the pesticide while the removal of the surfactant was little affected. Electrolysis does not only deplete the complete concentration of pesticide but it also shows to be very efficient in the depletion of the surfactant, preventing its potential recycle. The significant concentration of sulfate released during the attack to the surfactant and the effect of the peroxosulfate anions that are formed from the anodic oxidation of that anion, explain the improved performance of the technology in the treatment of washing fluids with higher concentrations of SDS.

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