The ability of drinking water treatment sludge to degrade methylene blue in water through combined adsorption/photo Fenton-like process

J Environ Sci Health A Tox Hazard Subst Environ Eng. 2023;58(12):981-990. doi: 10.1080/10934529.2023.2277622. Epub 2023 Nov 10.

Abstract

In the present study, drinking water treatment sludge (DWTS) was reused as a catalyst in advanced oxidation processes for the removal of methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solutions. After determining their chemical and mineralogical compositions by X-ray Powder Diffraction (XRD), BET surface area, scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS), Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP), and FT-IR spectra. DWTS has been used as a heterogeneous photo Fenton-Like catalyst for the oxidation of MB under different parameters, including pH (3-6), H2O2 concentration (9.79-29.37 mM), and dose (1-2.5 g/L). The results showed that within 180 min and under UV light irradiation, more than 86% of MB having a concentration of 50 mg/L were removed using a catalyst loading of 1.5 g/L, a H2O2 dosage of 23.17 mM and a solution pH of 5. The DWTS has a satisfactory stability as the catalyst is stable and have very less iron leaching property.

Keywords: Drinking water treatment sludge (DWTS); advanced oxidation process; catalyst; methylene blue.

MeSH terms

  • Adsorption
  • Catalysis
  • Drinking Water*
  • Hydrogen Peroxide / chemistry
  • Methylene Blue
  • Sewage
  • Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical* / chemistry

Substances

  • Sewage
  • Methylene Blue
  • Drinking Water
  • Hydrogen Peroxide
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical