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Complete degradation of the persistent anti‐depressant sertraline in aqueous solution by solar photo‐Fenton oxidation
Author(s) -
Pliego Gema,
Xekoukoulotakis Nikos,
Venieri Danae,
Zazo Juan A.,
Casas Jose A.,
. Rodriguez Juan J,
Mantzavinos Dionissios
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of chemical technology and biotechnology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.64
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1097-4660
pISSN - 0268-2575
DOI - 10.1002/jctb.4314
Subject(s) - hydrogen peroxide , chemistry , mineralization (soil science) , aqueous solution , ecotoxicity , effluent , wastewater , environmental chemistry , sertraline , degradation (telecommunications) , nuclear chemistry , toxicity , organic chemistry , environmental engineering , environmental science , telecommunications , computer science , nitrogen , neuroscience , biology , hippocampus , antidepressant
Abstract BACKGROUND Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor sertraline is found to be one of the most persistent pharmaceutical drugs and it has been detected in effluents from wastewater treatment plants. This work evaluates the feasibility of homogeneous solar photo‐Fenton oxidation for treating aqueous solutions containing sertraline.RESULTS The influence of iron and H 2 O 2 dosages was studied in order to optimize the reagents consumption. The beneficial role of simulated solar irradiation was noticeable and sertraline was readily oxidized; TOC removal up to 90% was achieved at a hydrogen peroxide dose as low as 40% of the stoichiometric amount for mineralization. Dechlorination was the first step of the proposed reaction pathway giving rise to the formation of by‐products of much lower toxicity.CONCLUSIONS Solar simulated photo‐Fenton allowed reduction of the doses of iron and H 2 O 2 needed, and therefore the main operating cost associated with this process, without compromising the quality of the effluent in terms of ecotoxicity. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.