Study of kinetic parameters related to the degradation of an industrial effluent using Fenton-like reactions

In the present work, some parameters (temperature, pH, concentration of Fe2+ and initial concentration of H2O2) were evaluated aiming to find the optimal conditions to promote the efficient degradation of the organic matter present in the effluent from a chip board industry, using Fenton's reactions and artificial illumination. The optimal conditions involve to upkeep the pH of the reaction medium around 3.00, a H2O2:Fe2+ molar ratio between 98:1 and 295:1, and Fe2+ concentration around 10 mg L-1. The temperature of the reaction medium and the suitable use of the high photonic flux from the lamp are important parameters to improve the degradation rate. The possibility of a two-step effluent treatment, combining Fenton's reactions and a biological treatment step is suggested. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.