Efficiency of heterogeneous Fenton-like process in removing an azo dye from aqueous medium using zero capacity iron particles

Azo dyes are considered a potential risk to the environment due to their widespread use in various industries as well as their toxicity. Therefore, effective removal of this pollutant from the environment seems to be necessary. The aim of this study was to investigate the process of heterogeneous Fenton with zero-valent iron particles in the removal of an azo dye.

The present experimental study was performed in 2019 in a laboratory scale in a batch reactor. In this study, the efficiency of heterogeneous Fenton-like process on azo dye removal was evaluated under different operating conditions (pH, contact time, hydrogen peroxide concentration, and dye concentration). The concentration of the studied dye was measured using a spectrophotometer.

The results of this study showed that the heterogeneous Fenton-like process in the presence of zero-valent iron particles can remove 97.3% of azo dye with the intital concentration of 50 mg/L at an initial pH of 6, hydrogen peroxide concentration of 6 mmol/L, and Fe particles dose of 0.5 g/L within 10 min of contact time.

In this study, it was found that azo dye can be effectively removed from the aqueous solution by heterogeneous Fenton method. Therefore, applictaion of zero-valent iron particles in the Fenton process is recommended for the effective removal of organic pollutants, especially dyes, from the aquatic environment.