Using Advanced Oxidation Processes for Treatment of Wastewaters Containing Dimethyl Sulfoxide: A Review

The use of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as a solvent for organic and inorganic compounds in various industries such as pharmaceutical, electronic and acrylic fiber manufacturing process has been increased in recent years. According to the growth of these industries in recent decades, treatment of DMSO wastewaters has become a serious concern. Although DMSO itself has low toxicity, the biological treatment of wastewater containing DMSO, is known to be difficult. According to limitations of biological treatment due to production of toxic compounds, advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) is considered as a most efficient method and the best one for purifying organic compounds which are resistant to conventional physical and chemical processes. In this study, some important AOPs such as extended and hybrid Fenton processes (photo- Fenton, electro- Fenton and photo-electro Fenton), ozone-based processes (O3, O3/H2O2, O3/UV), UV/H2O2 and TiO2/UV have been studied in the treatment of wastewaters containing DMSO. The efficiencies of these processes were also evaluated and discussed. Overall, it can be concluded that hybrid Fenton processes and ozone-based processes are more effective for removal of DMSO from wastewater.