Abatement of Electrochemical Desalination for Resource Utilization of Phenolic Residues

As a typical phenolic residue and pollutant, 2,4-D wastewater has a complex composition and high salt content, which makes it difficult for a single wastewater treatment method to meet the discharge standard. To address this challenge, this study explores an integrated electrochemical treatment approach that specifically targets 2,4-D high-salt organic wastewater with the aim of achieving the resource utilization of the wastewater and optimizing the operating parameters of each treatment unit. The results show that under the best experimental conditions, the chemical oxygen demand (COD) is significantly reduced to 200 mg/L, and the COD removal efficiency is as high as 99.67%. In addition, the recovery efficiency of phenolic substances 2,4-dichlorophenol, glycolic acid, and sodium chloride in wastewater reached 99.70%, 99.99%, 96.89%, and 80%, respectively. Phenols are used as raw materials for 2,4-D production, glycolic acid is widely used as a cleaning agent in industry, and the purity of recycled sodium chloride is as high as 99.08%, which can be reused as industrial salt. According to the treatment cost estimate, the benefit of recycling can offset the cost of wastewater treatment and may generate a certain economic surplus. This method is of great significance for the treatment of furfural wastewater and the realization of zero discharge of wastewater, which not only contributes to environmental protection but also promotes the sustainable utilization of resources.