Degradation of 2,4-dinitrophenol using a combination of hydrodynamic cavitation,chemical and advanced oxidation processes

In the present work, degradation of 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP), a persistent organic contaminant with high toxicity and very low biodegradability has been investigated using combination of hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) and chemical/advanced oxidation. The cavitating conditions have been generated using orifice plate as a cavitating device. Initially, the optimization of basic operating parameters have been done by performing experiments over varying inlet pressure (over the range of 3–6 bar), temperature (30 °C, 35 °C and 40 °C) and solution pH (over the range of 3–11). Subsequently, combined treatment strategies have been investigated for process intensification of the degradation process. The effect of HC combined with chemical oxidation processes such as hydrogen peroxide (HC/H₂O₂), ferrous activated persulfate (HC/Na₂S₂O₈/FeSO₄) and HC coupled with advanced oxidation processes such as conventional Fenton (HC/FeSO₄/H₂O₂), advanced Fenton (HC/Fe/H₂O₂) and Fenton-like process (HC/CuO/H₂O₂) on the extent of degradation of DNP have also been investigated at optimized conditions of pH 4, temperature of 35 °C and inlet pressure of 4 bar. Kinetic study revealed that degradation of DNP fitted first order kinetics for all the approaches under investigation. Complete degradation with maximum rate of DNP degradation has been observed for the combined HC/Fenton process. The energy consumption analysis for hydrodynamic cavitation based process has been done on the basis of cavitational yield. Degradation intermediates have also been identified and quantified in the current work. The synergistic index calculated for all the combined processes indicates HC/Fenton process is more feasible than the combination of HC with other Fenton like processes.     

Degradation of diclofenac sodium using combined processes based on hydrodynamic cavitation and heterogeneous photocatalysis

Diclofenac sodium, a widely detected pharmaceutical drug in wastewater samples, has been selected as a model pollutant for degradation using novel combined approach of hydrodynamic cavitation and heterogeneous photocatalysis. A slit venturi has been used as cavitating device in the hydrodynamic cavitation reactor. The effect of various operating parameters such as inlet fluid pressure (2–4 bar) and initial pH of the solution (4–7.5) on the extent of degradation have been studied. The maximum extent of degradation of diclofenac sodium was obtained at inlet fluid pressure of 3 bar and initial pH as 4 using hydrodynamic cavitation alone. The loadings of TiO₂ and H₂O₂ have been optimised to maximise the extent of degradation of diclofenac sodium. Kinetic study revealed that the degradation of diclofenac sodium fitted first order kinetics over the selected range of operating protocols. It has been observed that combination of hydrodynamic cavitation with UV, UV/TiO₂ and UV/TiO₂/H₂O₂ results in enhanced extents of degradation as compared to the individual schemes. The maximum extent of degradation as 95% with 76% reduction in TOC has been observed using hydrodynamic cavitation in conjunction with UV/TiO₂/H₂O₂ under the optimised operating conditions. The diclofenac sodium degradation byproducts have been identified using LC/MS analysis.     

Effect of process intensifying parameters on the hydrodynamic cavitation based degradation of commercial pesticide (methomyl) in the aqueous solution

Methomyl, a carbamate pesticide, is classified as a pesticide of category-1 toxicity and hence shows harmful effects on both human and aquatic life. In the present work, the degradation of methomyl has been studied by using hydrodynamic cavitation reactor (HC) and its combination with intensifying agents such as H₂O₂, fenton reagent and ozone (hybrid processes). Initially, the optimization of operating parameters such pH and inlet pressure to the cavitating device (circular venturi) has been carried out for maximizing the efficacy of hydrodynamic cavitation. Further degradation study of methomyl by the application of hybrid processes was carried out at an optimal pH of 2.5 and the optimal inlet pressure of 5 bar. Significant synergetic effect has been observed in case of all the hybrid processes studied. Synergetic coefficient of 5.8, 13.41 and 47.6 has been obtained by combining hydrodynamic cavitation with H₂O₂, fenton process and ozone respectively. Efficacy of individual and hybrid processes has also been obtained in terms of energy efficiency and extent of mineralization. HC + Ozone process has proved to be the most effective process having highest synergetic coefficient, energy efficiency and the extent of mineralization. The study has also encompassed the identification of intermediate by-products generated during the degradation and has proposed the probable degradation pathway. It has been conclusively established that hydrodynamic cavitation in the presence of intensifying agents can effectively be used for complete degradation of methomyl.     

Treatment of cyanide containing wastewater using cavitation based approach

Industrial wastewater streams containing high concentrations of biorefractory materials like cyanides should ideally be treated at source. In the present work, degradation of potassium ferrocyanide (K₄F_e(CN)₆) as a model pollutant has been investigated using cavitational reactors with possible intensification studies using different approaches. Effect of different operating parameters such as initial concentration, temperature and pH on the extent of degradation using acoustic cavitation has been investigated. For the case of hydrodynamic cavitation, flow characteristics of cavitating device (venturi) have been established initially followed by the effect of inlet pressure and pH on the extent of degradation. Under the optimized set of operating parameters, the addition of hydrogen peroxide (ratio of K₄F_e(CN)₆:H₂O₂ varied from 1:1 to 1:30 mol basis) as process intensifying approach has been investigated. The present work has conclusively established that under the set of optimized operating parameters, cavitation can be effectively used for degradation of potassium ferrocyanide. The comparative study of hydrodynamic cavitation and acoustic cavitation suggested that hydrodynamic cavitation is more energy efficient and gives higher degradation as compared to acoustic cavitation for equivalent power/energy dissipation. The present work is the first one to report comparison of cavitation based treatment schemes for degradation of cyanide containing wastewaters.     

Degradation of imidacloprid containing wastewaters using ultrasound based treatment strategies

The present work deals with application of sonochemical reactors for the treatment of imidacloprid containing wastewaters either individually or in combination with other advanced oxidation processes. Experiments have been performed using two different configurations of sonochemical reactors viz. ultrasonic horn (20 kHz frequency and rated power of 240 W) and ultrasonic bath equipped with radially vibrating horn (25 kHz frequency and 1 kW rated power). The work also investigates the effect of addition of process intensifying agents such as H₂O₂ and CuO, which can enhance the production of free radicals in the system. The combination studies with advanced oxidation process involve the advanced Fenton process and combination of ultrasound with UV based oxidation. The extent of degradation obtained using combination of US and H₂O₂ at optimum loading of H₂O₂ was found to be 92.7% whereas 96.5% degradation of imidacloprid was achieved using the combination of US and advanced Fenton process. The process involving the combination of US, UV and H₂O₂ was found to be the best treatment approach where complete degradation of imidacloprid was obtained with 79% TOC removal. It has been established that the use of cavitation in combination with different oxidation processes can be effectively used for the treatment of imidacloprid containing wastewater.     

Degradation of reactive orange 4 dye using hydrodynamic cavitation based hybrid techniques

In the present work, degradation of reactive orange 4 dye (RO4) has been investigated using hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) and in combination with other AOP’s. In the hybrid techniques, combination of hydrodynamic cavitation and other oxidizing agents such as H₂O₂ and ozone have been used to get the enhanced degradation efficiency through HC device. The hydrodynamic cavitation was first optimized in terms of different operating parameters such as operating inlet pressure, cavitation number and pH of the operating medium to get the maximum degradation of RO4. Following the optimization of HC parameters, the degradation of RO4 was carried out using the combination of HC with H₂O₂ and ozone. It has been found that the efficiency of the HC can be improved significantly by combining it with H₂O₂ and ozone. The mineralization rate of RO4 increases considerably with 14.67% mineralization taking place using HC alone increases to 31.90% by combining it with H₂O₂ and further increases to 76.25% through the combination of HC and ozone. The synergetic coefficient of greater than one for the hybrid processes of HC + H₂O₂ and HC + Ozone has suggested that the combination of HC with other oxidizing agents is better than the individual processes for the degradation of dye effluent containing RO4. The combination of HC with ozone proves to be the most energy efficient method for the degradation of RO4 as compared to HC alone and the hybrid process of HC and H₂O₂.     

Intensification of degradation of methomyl (carbamate group pesticide) by using the combination of ultrasonic cavitation and process intensifying additives

In the present work, the degradation of methomyl has been carried out by using the ultrasound cavitation (US) and its combination with H₂O₂, Fenton and photo-Fenton process. The study of effect of operating pH and ultrasound power density has indicated that maximum extent of degradation of 28.57% could be obtained at the optimal pH of 2.5 and power density of 0.155 W/mL. Application of US in combination with H₂O₂, Fenton and photo-Fenton process has further accelerated the rate of degradation of methomyl with complete degradation of methomyl in 27 min, 18 min and 9 min respectively. Mineralization study has proved that a combination of US and photo-Fenton process is the most effective process with maximum extent of mineralization of 78.8%. Comparison of energy efficiency and cost effectiveness of various processes has indicated that the electrical cost of 79892.34 Rs./m³ for ultrasonic degradation of methomyl has drastically reduced to 2277.00 Rs./m³, 1518.00 Rs./m³ and 807.58 Rs./m³ by using US in combination with H₂O₂, Fenton and photo-Fenton process respectively. The cost analysis has also indicated that the combination of US and photo-Fenton process is the most energy efficient and cost effective process.     

Performance and energetic analysis of hydrodynamic cavitation and potential integration with existing advanced oxidation processes: A case study for real life greywater treatment

The current work is a “first of a kind” report on the feasibility and efficacy of hydrodynamic cavitation integrated Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOP’s) towards treatment of a real life greywater stream in form of kitchen wastewater. The work has been carried out in a sequential manner starting with geometry optimization of orifice plate (cavitating device) followed by studying the effects of inlet pressure, pH, effluent dilution ratio on degradation of TOC and COD. Under optimized conditions of pH 3, 4 bar pressure, TOC and COD reduction of 18.23 and 25% were obtained using HC for a period of 120 min. To improve the performance of HC, further studies were carried out by integrating H₂O₂ and O₃ with HC. Using 5 g/h optimum dosage of H₂O₂, 87.5% reduction in COD was obtained beyond which it started decreasing. Moreover, integrating O₃ (57.5% reduction in COD) increased the treatment cost. However, a hybrid process (HC + H₂O₂ + O₃) yielded 76.26 and 98.25% reductions in TOC and COD within 60 min. The energetics of all the processes and the treatment costs were studied in detail and it was concluded that combined process of HC + H₂O₂ + O₃ surpassed by far the performances of HC + H₂O₂ and HC + O₃.     

Degradation of a cationic dye (Rhodamine 6G) using hydrodynamic cavitation coupled with other oxidative agents: Reaction mechanism and pathway

In the present study, decolorization and mineralization of a cationic dye, Rhodamine 6G (Rh6G), has been carried out using hydrodynamic cavitation (HC). Two cavitating devices such as slit and circular venturi were used to generate cavitation in HC reactor. The process parameters such as initial dye concentration, solution pH, operating inlet pressure, and cavitation number were investigated in detail to evaluate their effects on the decolorization efficiency of Rh6G. Decolorization of Rh6G was marginally higher in the case of slit venturi as compared to circular venturi. The kinetic study showed that decolorization and mineralization of the dye fitted first-order kinetics. The loadings of H₂O₂ and ozone have been optimized to intensify the decolorization and mineralization efficiency of Rh6G using HC. Nearly 54% decolorization of Rh6G was obtained using a combination of HC and H₂O₂ at a dye to H₂O₂ molar ratio of 1:30. The combination of HC with ozone resulted in 100% decolorization in almost 5–10 min of processing time depending upon the initial dye concentration. To quantify the extent of mineralization, total organic carbon (TOC) analysis was also performed using various processes and almost 84% TOC removal was obtained using HC coupled with 3 g/h of ozone. The degradation by-products formed during the complete degradation process were qualitatively identified by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and a detailed degradation pathway has been proposed.     

Shear-induced hydrodynamic cavitation as a tool for pharmaceutical micropollutants removal from urban wastewater

In this study, the removal of clofibric acid, ibuprofen, naproxen, ketoprofen, carbamazepine and diclofenac residues from wastewater, using a novel shear-induced cavitation generator has been systematically studied. The effects of temperature, cavitation time and H₂O₂ dose on removal efficiency were investigated. Optimisation (50 °C; 15 min; 340 mg L⁻¹ of added H₂O₂) resulted in removal efficiencies of 47–86% in spiked deionised water samples. Treatment of actual wastewater effluents revealed that although matrix composition reduces removal efficiency, this effect can be compensated for by increasing H₂O₂ dose (3.4 g L⁻¹) and prolonging cavitation time (30 min). Hydrodynamic cavitation has also been investigated as either a pre- or a post-treatment step to biological treatment. The results revealed a higher overall removal efficiency of recalcitrant diclofenac and carbamazepine, when hydrodynamic cavitation was used prior to as compared to post biological treatment i.e., 54% and 67% as compared to 39% and 56%, respectively. This is an important finding since diclofenac is considered as a priority substance to be included in the EU Water Framework Directive.     

The sonochemical decolourisation of textile azo dye Orange II: Effects of Fenton type reagents and UV light

The removal of Orange II (O-II) from aqueous solution under irradiation at 850 kHz has been studied. The effects of both homogeneous (with FeSO₄/H₂O₂)_, and heterogeneous (Fe containing ZSM-5 zeolite/H₂O₂) Fenton type reagents are reported together with the effect of UV irradiation in combination with ultrasound both alone and with homogeneous Fenton-type reagent.Degrees of decolourisation of 6.5% and 28.9% were observed using UV radiation and ultrasound, respectively, whereas under the simultaneous irradiation of ultrasound and UV light, the decolourisation degree reached 47.8%, indicating a synergetic effect of ultrasound and UV light. The decolourisation was increased with the addition of Fenton’s reagent with an optimal Fenton molar reagent ratio, Fe²⁺:H₂O₂ of 1:50. In the combined process of ultrasound and UV light with the homogeneous Fenton system 80.8% decolourisation could be achieved after 2 h indicating that UV improves this type of Orange II degradation. The degree of decolourisation obtained using the heterogeneous sono-Fenton system (Fe containing ZSM-5 zeolite catalysts + H₂O₂ + ultrasound) were consistently lower than the traditional homogeneous ultrasound Fenton system. This can be attributed to the greater difficulty of the reaction between Fe ions and hydrogen peroxide.In all cases the Orange II ultrasonic decolourisation was found to follow first order kinetics.     

Decolourization of Rhodamine B: A swirling jet-induced cavitation combined with NaOCl

A hydrodynamic cavitation reactor (Ecowirl) based on swirling jet-induced cavitation has been used in order to allow the degradation of a waste dye aqueous solution (Rhodamine B, RhB). Cavitation generated by Ecowirl reactor was directly compared with cavitation generated by using multiple hole orifice plates. The effects of operating conditions and parameters such as pressure, pH of dye solution, initial concentration of RhB and geometry of the cavitating devices on the degradation rate of RhB were discussed. In similar operative conditions, higher extents of degradation (ED) were obtained using Ecowirl reactor rather than orifice plate. An increase in the ED from 8.6% to 14.7% was observed moving from hole orifice plates to Ecowirl reactor. Intensification in ED of RhB by using hydrodynamic cavitation in presence of NaOCl as additive has been studied. It was found that the decolourization was most efficient for the combination of hydrodynamic cavitation and chemical oxidation as compared to chemical oxidation and hydrodynamic cavitation alone. The value of ED of 83.4% was reached in 37 min using Ecowirl combined with NaOCl (4.0 mg L⁻¹) as compared to the 100 min needed by only mixing NaOCl at the same concentration. At last, the energetic consumptions of the cavitation devices have been evaluated. Increasing the ED and reducing the treatment time, Ecowirl reactor resulted to be more energy efficient as compared to hole orifice plates, Venturi and other swirling jet-induced cavitation devices, as reported in literature.     

Intensification of Red-G dye degradation used in the dyeing of alpaca wool by advanced oxidation processes assisted by hydrodynamic cavitation

Red-G dye is one of the main dyes used in the textile industry to dye alpaca wool. Therefore, considering the large volume of processed wool in Perú, the development of efficient technologies for its removal is a present scientific issue. In this study, an integrated system based on hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) and photo-Fenton process was evaluated to remove the Red-G dye. Using a hybrid cavitation device (venturi + orifice plate), the effect of pH was evaluated, achieving 21 % of removal at pH 2 which was more than 80 % higher compared to pH 4 and 6. The effect of temperature was also evaluated in HC-system at pH 2, where percentage of dye degradation increased at lower temperatures (around 20 °C). Then, 50.7 % of dye was removed under optimized condition of HC-assisted Fenton process (FeSO₄:H₂O₂ of 1:30), that value was improved strongly by UV-light incorporation in the HC-system, increasing to 99 % removal efficiency with respect to HC-assisted Fenton process and reducing the time to 15 min. Finally, the developed cavitation device in combination with photo-Fenton process removed efficiently the dye and thus could be considered an interesting option for application to real wastewater.     

Optimization of a heterogeneous catalytic hydrodynamic cavitation reactor performance in decolorization of Rhodamine B: Application of scrap iron sheets

A low pressure pilot scale hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) reactor with 30 L volume, using fixed scrap iron sheets, as the heterogeneous catalyst, with no external source of H₂O₂ was devised to investigate the effects of operating parameters of the HC reactor performance. In situ generation of Fenton reagents suggested an induced advanced Fenton process (IAFP) to explain the enhancing effect of the used catalyst in the HC process. The reactor optimization was done based upon the extent of decolorization (ED) of aqueous solution of Rhodamine B (RhB). To have a perfect study on the pertinent parameters of the heterogeneous catalyzed HC reactor, the following cases as, the effects of scrap iron sheets, inlet pressure (2.4–5.8 bar), the distance between orifice plates and catalyst sheets (submerged and inline located orifice plates), back-pressure (2–6 bar), orifice plates type (4 various orifice plates), pH (2–10) and initial RhB concentration (2–14 mg L^?1) have been investigated. The results showed that the highest cavitational yield can be obtained at pH 3 and initial dye concentration of 10 mg L^?1. Also, an increase in the inlet pressure would lead to an increase in the ED. In addition, it was found that using the deeper holes (thicker orifice plates) would lead to lower ED, and holes with larger diameter would lead to the higher ED in the same cross-sectional area, but in the same holes’ diameters, higher cross-sectional area leads to the lower ED. The submerged operation mode showed a greater cavitational effects rather than the inline mode. Also, for the inline mode, the optimum value of 3 bar was obtained for the back-pressure condition in the system. Moreover, according to the analysis of changes in the UV–Vis spectra of RhB, both degradation of RhB chromophore structure and N-deethylation were occurred during the catalyzed HC process.     

Combined treatment approaches based on ultrasound for removal of triazophos from wastewater

Pesticides have been the major contributors to the growth of agricultural productivity, but the wide spread use in the fields and discharge from the manufacturing industries have also contributed to environmental concerns. In the present work, degradation of triazophos (O,O-diethyl-O-(1-phenyl-1H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl) phosphorothioate) as a model pollutant has been investigated using high volume continuous ultrasonic flow cell for the first time. Effect of power dissipation and initial pH on the extent of triazophos degradation using acoustic cavitation has been investigated initially. Under the optimized set of operating power dissipation and pH, effect of addition of hydrogen peroxide (ratio of C₁₂H₁₆N₃O₃PS (Triazophos):H₂O₂ over the range of 1:1–1:5), ozone (over the flow rate of 100–400 mg/h) and Fenton’s reagent (C₁₂H₁₆N₃O₃PS:FeSO₄:H₂O₂ ratio over the range of 1:1:1–1:4:4) has been investigated as possible process intensification strategy. Combined operation of US with H₂O₂ and Ozone resulted in 48.6% and 54.6% triazophos degradation respectively whereas combination of US and Fenton’s reagent resulted in maximum degradation as 92.2% and also resulted in maximum COD removal as 88.5%. The study also focused on identification of intermediate products formed during the degradation as well as establishing the kinetic rate constants and the synergistic index for different approaches. The study has established that cavitation can be effectively used for triazophos degradation with significant intensification benefits based on the use of combination approach.     

Simultaneous hydrodynamic cavitation and glow plasma discharge for the degradation of metronidazole in drinking water

In this study, a novel hydrodynamic cavitation unit combined with a glow plasma discharge system (HC-GPD) was proposed for the degradation of pharmaceutical compounds in drinking water. Metronidazole (MNZ), a commonly used broad-spectrum antibiotic, was selected to demonstrate the potential of the proposed system. Cavitation bubbles generated by hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) can provide a pathway for charge conduction during glow plasma discharge (GPD). The synergistic effect between HC and GPD promotes the production of hydroxyl radicals, emission of UV light, and shock waves for MNZ degradation. Sonochemical dosimetry provided information on the enhanced formation of hydroxyl radicals during glow plasma discharge compared to hydrodynamic cavitation alone. Experimental results showed a MNZ degradation of 14% in 15 min for the HC alone (solution initially containing 300 × 10⁻⁶ mol L⁻¹ MNZ). In experiments with the HC-GPD system, MNZ degradation of 90% in 15 min was detected. No significant differences were observed in MNZ degradation in acidic and alkaline solutions. MNZ degradation was also studied in the presence of inorganic anions. Experimental results showed that the system is suitable for the treatment of solutions with conductivity up to 1500 × 10⁻⁶ S cm⁻¹. The results of sonochemical dosimetry showed the formation of oxidant species of 0.15 × 10⁻³ mol H₂O₂ L⁻¹ in the HC system after 15 min. For the HC-GPD system, the concentration of oxidant species after 15 min reached 13 × 10⁻³ mol H₂O₂ L⁻¹. Based on these results, the potential of combining HC and GPD systems for water treatment was demonstrated. The present work provided useful information on the synergistic effect between hydrodynamic cavitation and glow plasma discharge and their application for the degradation of antibiotics in drinking water.     

Effect of intensifying additives on the degradation of thiamethoxam using ultrasound cavitation

The present study has investigated the degradation of thiamethoxam using ultrasound cavitation (US) operated at a frequency of 20 kHz and its combination with intensifying additives viz. hydrogen peroxide, Fenton and photo-Fenton reagent. At the outset, the performance of US (20 kHz) has been maximised by the optimization of process parameters. Highest rate of degradation of thiamethoxam was observed at the optimum ultrasonic power density of 0.22 W/mL, thiamethoxam concentration of 10 ppm and the pH of 2. The established optimum values of operating parameters were used further in case of combined treatment approaches. The effect of concentration of H₂O₂ on the rate of degradation of thiamethoxam in the case of US + H₂O₂ process has confirmed the existence of optimum concentration of H₂O₂ with the ratio of thiamethoxam: H₂O₂ as 1:10. US + Fenton process indicated the optimal molar ratio of FeSO₄·7H₂O:H₂O₂ as 1:15. The combined processes of US + H₂O_2, US + Fenton and US + photo-Fenton have resulted in the extent of degradation of 20.47 ± 0.61%, 34.41 ± 1.03% and 85.17 ± 2.56% respectively after 45 min. of operation. These combined processes lead to the synergistic index of 2.04 ± 0.06, 2.26 ± 0.07 and 2.42 ± 0.07 in case of US + H₂O₂, US + Fenton and US + photo-Fenton processes respectively over only US/stirring treatment with the additive. Additionally, the extent of mineralization and the energy efficiency of individual and combined processes have been compared. US + photo-Fenton process has been found to be the best strategy for effective degradation of thiamethoxam with a significant intensification benefit. The by-products formed during the ultrasonic degradation of thiamethoxam have been identified by using LC-MS/MS analysis.     

Intensified depolymerization of aqueous polyacrylamide solution using combined processes based on hydrodynamic cavitation,ozone, ultraviolet light and hydrogen peroxide

The present work deals with intensification of depolymerization of polyacrylamide (PAM) solution using hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) reactors based on a combination with hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), ozone (O₃) and ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. Effect of inlet pressure in hydrodynamic cavitation reactor and power dissipation in the case of UV irradiation on the extent of viscosity reduction has been investigated. The combined approaches such as HC + UV, HC + O₃, HC + H₂O₂, UV + H₂O₂ and UV + O₃ have been subsequently investigated and found to be more efficient as compared to individual approaches. For the approach based on HC + UV + H₂O₂, the extent of viscosity reduction under the optimized conditions of HC (3 bar inlet pressure) + UV (8 W power) + H₂O₂ (0.2% loading) was 97.27% in 180 min whereas individual operations of HC (3 bar inlet pressure) and UV (8 W power) resulted in about 35.38% and 40.83% intrinsic viscosity reduction in 180 min respectively. In the case of HC (3 bar inlet pressure) + UV (8 W power) + ozone (400 mg/h flow rate) approach, the extent of viscosity reduction was 89.06% whereas individual processes of only ozone (400 mg/h flow rate), ozone (400 mg/h flow rate) + HC (3 bar inlet pressure) and ozone (400 mg/h flow rate) + UV (8 W power) resulted in lower extent of viscosity reduction as 50.34%, 60.65% and 75.31% respectively. The chemical structure of the treated PAM by all approaches was also characterized using FTIR (Fourier transform infrared) spectra and it was established that no significant chemical structure changes were obtained during the treatment. Overall, it can be said that the combination of HC + UV + H₂O₂ is an efficient approach for the depolymerization of PAM solution.     

SonoFenton degradation of an azo dye,Direct Red

The degradation of a reactive azo dye, Direct Red 81 (DR81), by Fenton process and in conjunction with sonolysis (SonoFenton) was studied. The synergistic effect of Fenton process and sonolysis enhanced the degradation of Direct Red 81 in aqueous solutions and the reaction followed the mechanism of hydroxyl radical (HO) oxidation. The influence of the initial substrate concentration, pH and catalyst loading on the rate of decolorisation were studied. The dye decolorisation followed apparent first order kinetics. The optimum conditions for decolorisation were pH = 3.0, [Fe²⁺] = 0.2 g/l, [H₂O₂] = 5.1 × 10⁻³ mol/l and ultrasonic frequency = 120 kHz, 60 W. These conditions yielded 99% decolorisation of DR81 within 75 min. The sonolytic degradation products of DR81 were identified using Electrospray Ionization-Mass Spectrometry (ESI-MS). The presence of CO₃²⁻, HCO₃⁻, Cl⁻, NO₃⁻, and SO₄²⁻ ions in the dye solution did not have a considerable effect on the decolorisation efficiency. This study demonstrates that Fenton and SonoFenton methods can effectively decolorize DR81 dye in waste water. The dye concentration used in this study is higher compared to earlier studies illustrating the effective mineralization by the SonoFenton process. The mechanism of dye degradation is also proposed.     

Critical factors in sonochemical degradation of fumaric acid

The effects of critical factors such as Henry’s Law constant, atmospheric OH rate constant, initial concentration, H₂O₂, FeSO₄ and tert-butanol on the sonochemical degradation of fumaric acid have been investigated. The pseudo first-order rate constant for the sonochemical degradation of 1 mM fumaric acid is much lower than those for chloroform and phenol degradation, and is related to solute concentration at the bubble/water interface and reactivity towards hydroxyl radicals. Furthermore, fumaric acid is preferentially oxidized at the lower initial concentration. It is unreactive to H₂O₂ under agitation at room temperature. However, the degradation rate of fumaric acid increases with the addition of H₂O₂ under sonication. 0.1 mM of fumaric acid suppresses H₂O₂ formation thanks to water sonolysis, while degradation behavior is also dramatically affected by the addition of an oxidative catalyst (FeSO₄) or radical scavenger (tert-butanol), indicating that the degradation of fumaric acid is caused by hydroxyl radicals generated during the collapse of high-energy cavities.