Influencia de los parámetros de operación en la degradación de naftaleno y fenantreno mediante electrooxidación

Naphthalene and phenanthrene are polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons typically found in the environment. Due to their bio-persistence and toxicity for humans and the environment, their removal has become an important issue. The aim of this work was to evaluate the influence of operating parameters in the electrochemical oxidation of naphthalene, phenanthrene and organic matter in synthetic wastewater using a batch recirculation reactor constituted by a Ti/IrO2 anode and a stainless-steel cathode. By using a factorial design 24 with two central points, the most significant factors for the organic matter removal measured as chemical oxygen demand (COD) were determined. Then, the influence of the operating conditions for the degradation of the studied compounds with an experimental design 23 with one repetition was determined. The highest removal efficiencies for naphthalene and phenanthrene were 91 ± 4 and 95 ± 4.2 %, respectively, at a current density of 50 mA/cm2, electrolysis time of 60 min, pH of 2 and recirculation flow rate of 4 L/min.