title: Single and Coupled Electrochemical Processes and Reactors for the Abatement of Organic Water Pollutants: A Critical Review.
abstract: Traditional physicochemical and biological techniques, as well as advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), are often inadequate, ineffective, or expensive for industrial water reclamation. Within this context, the electrochemical technologies have found a niche where they can become dominant in the near future, especially for the abatement of biorefractory substances. In this critical review, some of the most promising electrochemical tools for the treatment of wastewater contaminated by organic pollutants are discussed in detail with the following goals: (1) to present the fundamental aspects of the selected processes; (2) to discuss the effect of both the main operating parameters and the reactor design on their performance; (3) to critically evaluate their advantages and disadvantages; and (4) to forecast the prospect of their utilization on an applicable scale by identifying the key points to be further investigated. The review is focused on the direct electrochemical oxidation, the indirect electrochemical oxidation mediated by electrogenerated active chlorine, and the coupling between anodic and cathodic processes. The last part of the review is devoted to the critical assessment of the reactors that can be used to put these technologies into practice.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Química, Campus Universitário, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte , Av. Salgado Filho 3000 Campus Universitário Lagoa-Nova CEP 59078-970 Natal, RN, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carlos A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Martínez-Huitle
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Chemical Sciences & Technologies, Ciudad Real, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha , Ciudad Real 13071, Spain.
authors.forename: Manuel A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Rodrigo
authors.affiliation: Laboratori d'Electroquímica dels Materials i del Medi Ambient, Departament de Química Física, Facultat de Química, Universitat de Barcelona , Martí i Franquès 1-11, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Ignasi
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sirés
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, Gestionale, Informatica, Meccanica, Università degli Studi di Palermo , Palermo 90128, Italy.
authors.forename: Onofrio
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Scialdone