title: Treatment of actual effluents produced in the manufacturing of atrazine by a photo-electrolytic process.
abstract: The photo-assisted electrochemical degradation of a real effluent of the atrazine manufacturing process containing atrazine, simazine, hydroxy-triazine and propazine was carried out galvanostatically using a pilot-scale tubular flow reactor prototype containing DSA®and Ti as cathode. The effluent was mainly characterized by a high amount of NaCl, required in the synthesis route used, and it was used as taken in the factory. The variables for process optimization were the current density (3.0, 6.0, and 9.0 mA cm-2) and flow rate (300 and 3,000 L h-1). These later values produces laminar and turbulent flow regimes, with Reynolds numbers of 1,100 and 11,000, respectively. None of the four organics contained in the waste is refractory to the photo-electrochemical treatment and they are depleted with the photo-electrolytic technology using large current densities and appropriate electric charge passed. Both direct electrochemical process and mediated anodic oxidation occur during the treatment. First process occurs at turbulent flow condition and low current densities, while the chemical oxidation process happens at laminar flow condition and high current densities. Atrazine and propazine are efficiently removed at laminar flow conditions, with an almost total depletion for the largest current densities. On the contrary, simazine is efficiently removed in turbulent flow conditions and intermediate current density, with removals higher than 90% for 20 kWh m-3. These results have great significance because they demonstrate the applicability of the electrochemical technology in the treatment of real industrial wastes with a cell specially designed to attain high efficiency in the removal of pollutants.
authors.affiliation: São Carlos Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo, P.O. Box 780, CEP 13560-970, São Carlos, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: José M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Aquino
authors.affiliation: São Carlos Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo, P.O. Box 780, CEP 13560-970, São Carlos, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Douglas W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Miwa
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Chemical Sciences & Technologies, Universidad de Castilla - La Mancha, Campus Universitario s/n, 13071, Ciudad Real, Spain.
authors.forename: Manuel A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Rodrigo
authors.affiliation: São Carlos Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo, P.O. Box 780, CEP 13560-970, São Carlos, SP, Brazil. Electronic address: artur@iqsc.usp.br.
authors.forename: Artur J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Motheo
mesh_terms: D001280:Atrazine / Q000737:chemistry*; D004572:Electrolysis; D052918:Environmental Restoration and Remediation / Q000379:methods; D007220:Industrial Waste / Q000032:analysis; D010782:Photolysis; D010865:Pilot Projects; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D007220:Industrial Waste; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D001280:Atrazine
keywords: Anodic oxidation; Atrazine; Effluent treatment; Industrial wastewater; Wastewater remediation