Degradation of Aspirin in a Microbial Fuel Cell Powered Electro-Fenton System Using an Etched Graphite Felt Cathode

Pharmaceutical wastewater containing contaminants like aspirin, ofloxacin, and amoxicillin are emerging as a worldwide issue due to its significant effects on the ecosystem and public health. In this study, wastewater containing aspirin was treated by using Mn3O4 etched graphite felt (EGF) as a cathode in an MFC-powered electro-Fenton system. The electrochemical characterization of etched electrodes revealed that etching at 400 degrees C for 1.5 h showed the highest electrochemical activity and rapid electron transfer with a peak current of - 0.058A. The physicochemical characterization exhibited a porous morphology with high defect concentration (I-D/I-G ratio of 1.56) and increased specific surface area and superhydrophilicity, proving its ability to regenerate Fe2+ on the cathodic surface and promote H2O2 generation. MFC exhibits a maximum power density of 0.053 W/m(2) and a current density of 0.516 A/m(2). Under optimized conditions of 0.7 mM iron concentration, pH 3, and 100 Omega resistance, the MFC-powered electro-Fenton system showed a maximum of 95.85% aspirin degradation in 30 h with a highest H2O2 generation of 11.84 mg/l. The results highlight the potential of EGF electrodes as efficient cathodes in MFC-powered electro-Fenton systems and suggest that this technology can be opted as an energy-saving system for degrading pharmaceuticals such as aspirin from wastewater.