Treatment of Paracetamol and Propranolol Via Anodic Oxidation, Electrolyte Study and Kinetic Analysis

Objective: To evaluate the application of anodic oxidation (AO) for the degradation of paracetamol and propranolol, in aqueous solution and synthetic effluent. Theoretical Framework: Pharmaceuticals are persistent contaminants, requiring more complex technologies for their complete degradation, such as advanced electrochemical oxidative processes. Method: The following electrodes were tested: graphite and copper; and electrolytes: sodium chloride, potassium chloride, odium sulfate and ferrous sulfate heptahydrate and the following variables were evaluated: distance between the electrodes, depth in the solution and voltage. In addition to the degradation kinetics and toxicity tests with lettuce (Lactuca Sativa), carrot (Daucus carota) and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) seeds. Results and Discussion: The results obtained for the aqueous solution of the drugs were satisfactory in graphite-copper systems with NaCl and KCl, with complete degradation for paracetamol after 75 min. While for propranolol, degradations of 81.28% (NaCl/214 nm) and 72.97% (KCl/214 nm) and 85.92% (NaCl/288 nm) and 81.95% (KCl/288 nm) were identified after 150 min. In the synthetic effluent, a small reduction in degradation was observed, being 84.53% for paracetamol and 62.95% (214 nm)/52.78% (288 nm) for propranolol. Toxic effect was observed for all evaluated seeds. Research Implications: This research shows that even the simplest EAOPs, such as AO, are efficient and applicable in degrading pharmaceutical contaminants efficiently. Originality/Value: This study reiterates the efficiency of AO in degrading two different pharmaceutical contaminants, and the maintenance of this efficiency, even when increasing the complexity of the matrix studied.