title: Economic evaluation of the photo-Fenton process. Mineralization level and reaction time: the keys for increasing plant efficiency.
abstract: The use of the solar photo-Fenton process is proposed to degrade Paracetamol in water in order to form biodegradable reaction intermediates which can be finally removed with a downstream biological treatment. Firstly, biodegradability enhancement with photo-Fenton treatment time has been evaluated; the minimum mineralization level should be at least 18.6% where Paracetamol has been degraded and biodegradability efficiency is higher than 40%. 20 mg L(-1) of Fe(2+) and 200 mg L(-1) of H(2)O(2) were selected in a lab-scale study looking at Paracetamol's degradation rate and organic carbon mineralization rate. As a result of scaling up the process at a pilot plant, 157.5 mg L(-1) of Paracetamol (∼1 mM) was treated in 25 min of photo-Fenton treatment achieving the desired biodegradability. A further economic evaluation shows how the proposed treatment strategy markedly increases plant efficiency, resulting in an 83.33% reduction in reagent cost and a 79.11% reduction in costs associated with reaction time. Total cost is reduced from 3.4502 €/m(3) to 0.7392 €/m(3).
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Almería, 04120 Almería, Spain.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Santos-Juanes Jordá
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Ballesteros Martín
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ortega Gómez
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cabrera Reina
authors.forename: I M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Román Sánchez
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Casas López
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Sánchez Pérez
mesh_terms: D000082:Acetaminophen / Q000737:chemistry / Q000191:economics; D000465:Algorithms; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003124:Colorimetry; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000737:chemistry / Q000191:economics*; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D007501:Iron / Q000737:chemistry / Q000191:economics*; D008506:Medical Waste / Q000191:economics*; D008903:Minerals / Q000737:chemistry; D010777:Photochemistry; D010865:Pilot Projects; D016958:Pseudomonas putida / Q000378:metabolism; D012037:Refuse Disposal / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: C045076:Fenton's reagent; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D008506:Medical Waste; D008903:Minerals; D000082:Acetaminophen; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D007501:Iron