Degradation of odontologic X-ray film developing wastewaters by photo-fenton process

Effluents from radiographic X-ray film developing processes feature a high contaminant load (COD about 70000 mg/L and total phenols concentration about 16956 mg/L). Photo-Fenton's are potentially useful oxidation processes for destroying toxic organic compounds in water. In these reactions, hydrogen peroxide is combined with ferrous or ferric iron in the presence of light to generate hydroxyl radicals (center dot OH). The photo-Fenton process was explored as a photochemical treatment to degrade wastewater from radiographic X-ray film developing processes coming from odontologic clinics. A response surface methodology was applied to optimize the photo-Fenton oxidation process conditions using total phenol removal as the target parameter to be optimized, and the reagent concentrations, as related to the initial concentration of organic matter in the effluent, and time and pH as the control factors to be optimized. The best results in terms of maximal total phenol removal and economic process were achieved when wastewater samples were treated at pH 5 in the presence of hydrogen peroxide and iron in the ratios [total phenols]:[H2O2] 1:3 w/w and [Fe2+]:[H2O2] 1:18 w/w and time 1 h.