Enhanced degradation of paracetamol by combining UV with electrogenerated hydrogen peroxide and ozone

The in-situ production of highly oxidizing species represents a sustainable approach for the treatment of unregulated emerging contaminants. In this article, we investigate the UV induced degradation and mineralization of paracetamol that represents one of the most frequently prescribed and sold drugs worldwide. In particular, this work compares two advanced oxidation processes based on photolysis of electrogenerated hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and ozone (O3). The H2O2 electrosynthesis has been performed via oxygen reduction on gas diffusion electrodes (GDE). To maximize the efficiency of the treatments, the effect of the main operative parameters such as reagent concentration, pH, current density and UV irradiance has been discussed. The results show that, due to the synergistic effect, paracetamol undergoes rapid degradation and extensive mineralization. The comparison of the cost-effectiveness of the treatments, in terms of energy consumption, is also provided.