Evaluation of the effect of oxygen on electro-Fenton treatment performance for real textile wastewater using the Taguchi approach

Abstract

This investigation demonstrates the performance difference of EF reactions conducted in the oxygenated and oxygen-free conditions due to the contribution of hydroxyl radicals in the solution. Additionally, the effects of different operating variables (e.g., current, initial wastewater concentration, and air flow rate) on the decolorization, mineralization, and turbidity removal performance were investigated, and the variables were optimized using the Taguchi method. Under the optimum operation conditions in the EF process, 100% color, 70.4% total organic carbon (TOC), and 98.8% turbidity removals were achieved in the oxygenated solution. However, a decrease was observed in the results of oxygen-free EF reactions, and 91.2, 63.2, and 89.1% removal percentages were obtained for decolorization, mineralization, and turbidity, respectively.