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Degradation of artificial sweetener saccharin in aqueous medium by electrochemically generated hydroxyl radicals

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Abstract

The removal of artificial sweetener saccharin (SAC) in aqueous solution by electrochemical advanced oxidation using electro-Fenton process was performed. Experiments were carried out in an undivided cylindrical glass cell with a carbon-felt cathode and a Pt or boron-doped diamond (BDD) anode. The removal of SAC by electrochemically generated hydroxyl radicals followed pseudo-first-order kinetics with both Pt and BDD anode. The absolute rate constant of the SAC hydroxylation reaction was determined for the first time using the competition kinetic method and found to be (1.85 ± 0.01) × 109 M−1 s−1. The comparative study of TOC removal efficiency during electro-Fenton treatment indicated a higher mineralization rate with BDD than Pt anode. The identification and evolution of short-chain carboxylic acids and inorganic ions formed during oxidation process were monitored by ion-exchange chromatography and ion chromatography, respectively. The assessment of toxicity of SAC and/or its reaction by-products during treatment was performed using Microtox® method based on the Vibrio fischeri bacteria luminescence inhibition. Results showed that the process was able to efficiently detoxify the treated solution.

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Acknowledgments

LIN H. and ZHANG H. would like to acknowledge the financial support by Chinese Science Council (201306270179, 201306270100) and National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No 21547006).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430079, China

    Heng Lin & Hui Zhang

  2. Université Paris-Est, Laboratoire Géomatériaux et Environnement, 5 Bd. Descartes, 77454, Marne-la-Vallée Cedex 2, France

    Heng Lin, Jie Wu, Nihal Oturan & Mehmet A. Oturan

  3. Fuzhou Environmental Monitoring Center, Fuzhou, 350011, China

    Jie Wu

Authors
  1. Heng Lin
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  2. Jie Wu
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  3. Nihal Oturan
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  4. Hui Zhang
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  5. Mehmet A. Oturan
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Hui Zhang or Mehmet A. Oturan.

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Responsible editor: Santiago V. Luis

Submitted to Environmental Science and Pollution Research for consideration.

Highlights

Artificial sweetener saccharin was first degraded by electro-Fenton process.

The effect of operating parameters on the degradation and mineralization was investigated.

The formed carboxylic acids during treatment were identified and quantified.

The change of toxicity during treatment was examined by using Microtox method.

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Lin, H., Wu, J., Oturan, N. et al. Degradation of artificial sweetener saccharin in aqueous medium by electrochemically generated hydroxyl radicals. Environ Sci Pollut Res 23, 4442–4453 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-5633-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-5633-x

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