Total Suspended Solids Removal from Leachate using Electrochemical, Fenton and Electro-Fenton Processes

The growth of population, improvement of quality of life and the development of industries have led to increase in the rate of urban and industrial waste. As the leachate of the waste has a lot of pollution, influences harmfully human health and the environment. Researches have shown that the advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) such as Fenton and Fenton-related processes can reduce chemical oxygen demand (COD) of the leachate effectively. In this paper, the rate of decrease in the total suspended solids (TSS) of leachate from a composting facility in Isfahan was studied using electrochemical, Fenton and electro-Fenton processes. These processes were conducted at reaction times 0, 20, 40, and 60 minutes, with the currents of 0.5, 1 and 1.5A and hydrogen peroxide dosages 1000, 2000, and 3000 mg/L. In the three mentioned processes, the most TSS removal was observed at the first 40 minute of the reactions. Among the studied processes, the electro-Fenton removed up to 92.4% of the TSS and was recognized as the most effective method. Furthermore, electrochemical and Fenton removed 41.7% and 60.3% of the TSS, respectively. Therefore, decreasing the TSS of leachate could change its qualities and reduce the leachate pollution and the adverse environmental effects.