Comparison of solar/H2O2 and solar photo-fenton processes for the disinfection of domestic wastewaters

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of two solar-based processes (solar/H2O2 and solar photo-fenton) for the inactivation of E. coli in simulated domestic wastewater. Different H2O2 concentrations were applied for solar/H2O2 process (5, 10, 50 and 150 mg/L) and for solar photo-fenton process (10, 30 and 50 mg/L) at different light intensities (200 W/m(2) and 500 W/m(2)) in glass beakers under solar simulator. The application of light at 200 W/m(2) and 500 W/m(2) showed no difference on the removal time in the absence of hydrogen peroxide. However, in the presence of H2O2, removal times decreased significantly with the elevation of light intensity. When H2O2 concentration was increased, the removal times decreased consistently for solar photofenton process and solar/H2O2 process both at 200 W/m(2) and 500 W/m(2), except for the process with solar/50 mg/L H2O2 at 500 W/ m(2). These results imply that solar/H2O2 and solar photo-fenton processes may be a good alternative for disinfection of domestic wastewaters which contains high amounts of organic and inorganic materials.