Iervolino G., Vaiano V., Sannino D., Rizzo L., Sarno G., Ciambelli P., Isupova L., 2015, Influence of Operating Conditions in the Photo-Fenton Removal of Tartrazine on Structured Catalysts, Chemical Engineering Transactions, 43, 979-984.
Organic dyes in wastewater negatively affect aquatic life by impeding light penetration and they can eventually results in carcinogenic and genotoxic effects on human health. Tartrazine is a commonly not-biodegradable dye used in food industries. The aim of this work was to evaluate the influence of operating conditions in the heterogeneous photo-Fenton process for the removal of tartrazine on structured catalysts. In particular LaFeO3 or Pt/LaFeO3 perovskite supported on honeycomb monoliths have been tested. The process efficiency was evaluated in terms of both dye discoloration and mineralization. The influence of initial dye concentration, H2O2 dosage, and initial pH of solution has been evaluated. Experimental results evidenced that the presence of the platinum allows the removal of the colour already in dark condition, enhancing the adsorption phase. Moreover, the highest photo-Fenton performances were obtained at natural solution pH (6), reaching the complete discoloration and mineralization after about 30 and 40 min of irradiation, respectively. No formation of sludge in the whole pH range investigated was observed.
