Electrochemical Treatment for Acetaminophen Containing Pharmaceutical Wastewater

The use of advanced oxidation (AOP) methods to remove organic contaminants from wastewater in effective and sustainable ways has been increasing in widespread acceptance. The hydroxyl radicals produced by electrochemical oxidation (EO) using a Ti/TiO₂-RuO₂-IrO₂ anode effectively break down and remove pollutants from wastewater. The pharmaceutical drug acetaminophen (ACT) has been one of the most often used for humans. The present study aims to investigate the elimination of ACT and chemical oxygen demand (COD). Parameters pH, current intensity, and electrolysis time were optimized through response surface methodology (RSM) based on Box-Behnken Design (BBD) to achieve target responses of maximize ACT and COD removal with minimize energy consumption. The optimization model demonstrated strong co-relation between predictive and experimental values, achieving 96.17% ACT removal, 56.6% COD removal, and energy consumption of 34 kWh/m³, highlighting the EO process as an effective and energy-efficient treatment strategy. Under optimal conditions, % ACT and COD removal strongly supported first-order rate constant. The electrodes electrochemical properties were examined using cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) in a Na₂SO₄ solution. Oxygen evaluation activity and active surface area of the Ti/TiO₂-RuO₂-IrO₂ anode were also assessed. EO has been recognized as an effective and energy-efficient method for ACT and COD removal by effective Ti/TiO₂-RuO₂-IrO₂ electrode, where key parameters have been optimized with RSM-BBD.