Investigation of the Performance of Electro-Fenton Process in the Degradation of Acid Black 1 and Acid Blue 113 in Aquatic Environment

Azo dyes are a major environmental concern due to the presence of benzene rings in their structure. The present experimental study investigates the capability of the Electro-Fenton process as an Electrochemical advanced Oxidation Process for degrading Acid Black 1 and Acid Blue 113 in an aquatic environment. In this study, a lab-scale EF batch reactor equipped with four electrodes and a DC power supply was used for removing the dye. The effects of such operating parameters as pH, voltage, H2O2, initial dye concentration, cathode materials, and operation time were evaluated. The results showed that initial pH of the solution, initial H2O2 concentration, as well as different applied voltages and reaction times were highly effective in the dye removal efficiency of the process so that the 98% of both dyes were removed after 10 min of reaction at pH=3.0, a voltage of 20 V, and a H2O2 concentration of 100 mg/L. Removal efficiency decreased dramatically when pH was increased from 3 to 11, and voltage from 20 to 40 V. The presence of H2O2 was found to be the prerequisite to this process since the maximum dye removal obtained at an H2O2 concentration of zero was 7% for both dyes. The results of this study indicate that the Electro-Fenton method can be considered as an alternative process for the traditional treatment processes used.