Performance and economic assessment of the treatment of phenol with TiO2 photocatalysis, photo-fenton, biological aerated filter, and wetland reactors

Abstract

The performance and economic cost of the removal of phenol with TiO2 photocatalysis, photo‐Fenton reactions, biological aerated filter (BAF), and constructed wetland (CW) reactors has been studied. The BAF achieved complete removal with a maximum phenol concentration of 200 mg·L−1. The BAF‐CW combination provided a phenol‐free effluent with a maximum phenol concentration of 650 mg·L−1. In both cases, a complete detoxification of the treated water was achieved at the concentrations studied. The efficiency of TiO2 photocatalysis was limited to concentrations below 50 mg L−1 to minimize removal reduction and toxicity of the intermediates. Photo‐Fenton was more efficient, but also more expensive because of the high cost of H2O2. The photo‐Fenton‐BAF combination is proposed to be the most suitable one.