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Fe(III)–EDDS complex in Fenton and photo-Fenton processes: from the radical formation to the degradation of a target compound

  • Advanced oxidation processes for environmental protection
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Abstract

The present work compares the efficiency of homogenous Fenton and photo-Fenton processes in the presence of Fe(III)–EDDS complex under different experimental conditions. 4-tert-Butylphenol (4-t-BP), which is one of the endocrine disrupting chemicals, was used as a model pollutant to investigate the Fenton and photo-Fenton application. The efficiency of homogenous photo-Fenton process was significantly much higher than homogenous Fenton process, which is due to the rapid formation of Fe2+ under UV irradiation of the iron complex and the photochemical formation of HO• from the photolysis of the complex Fe(III)–EDDS. Through the degradation of 4-t-BP, the effect of Fe(III)–EDDS concentration, H2O2 concentration, pH, and oxygen was investigated in both processes. Such trend was also correlated with pH calculating the polychromatic Fe2+ quantum yield formation at pH 4.0, 6.0, and 8.6. The results showed that at high Fe(III)–EDDS and H2O2 concentrations, a negative effect was found. By the way, the Fenton process was found to be enhanced at basic pH. These results can be very useful for the use and optimization of such iron complex in water treatment process as function of different physico-chemical conditions.

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Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support from China Scholarship Council for Dr. Yanlin Wu to study at the Blaise Pascal University in Clermont-Ferrand, France. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC 21077027), Shanghai Natural Science Fund (No. 12ZR1402000), Shanghai Tongji Gao Tingyao Environmental Science & Technology Development Foundation (STGEF), and the Graduate Innovative Fund of Fudan University (No. 13). This work was also supported by one project CMIRA founded by the Rhône-Alpes Région, the “Federation des Recherches en Environnement” through the CPER “Environnement” founded by the “Région Auvergne,” the French government and FEDER from the European community, and the CNRS program EC2CO.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Clermont Université, Université Blaise Pascal, Institut de Chimie de Clermont-Ferrand (ICCF), BP 10448, 63000, Clermont-Ferrand, France

    Yanlin Wu, Monica Passananti, Marcello Brigante & Gilles Mailhot

  2. CNRS, UMR 6296, Institut de Chimie de Clermont-Ferrand, 63171, Aubière, France

    Yanlin Wu, Monica Passananti, Marcello Brigante & Gilles Mailhot

  3. Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention, Department of Environmental Science & Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China

    Yanlin Wu & Wenbo Dong

Authors
  1. Yanlin Wu
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  2. Monica Passananti
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  3. Marcello Brigante
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  4. Wenbo Dong
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  5. Gilles Mailhot
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Correspondence to Marcello Brigante or Gilles Mailhot.

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Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

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Wu, Y., Passananti, M., Brigante, M. et al. Fe(III)–EDDS complex in Fenton and photo-Fenton processes: from the radical formation to the degradation of a target compound. Environ Sci Pollut Res 21, 12154–12162 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-014-2945-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-014-2945-1

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