Comparative assessment of coagulation–fenton and coagulation–electro-fenton processes for the treatment of metronidazole antibiotic containing wastewater

Rezaei, Mina; Rahimi Bistoni2, Sajjad

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Rezaei M, Rahimi Bistoni2 S. Comparative assessment of coagulation–fenton and coagulation–electro-fenton processes for the treatment of metronidazole antibiotic containing wastewater. jmsthums 2026; 14 (1) :35-46
URL: http://jms.thums.ac.ir/article-1-1454-en.html

Comparative assessment of coagulation–fenton and coagulation–electro-fenton processes for the treatment of metronidazole antibiotic containing wastewater

Mina Rezaei¹

, Sajjad Rahimi Bistoni2²

1- Vice Chancellery of Health, Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran
2- Department of Basic Sciences, Khomein University of Medical Sciences, Khomein, Iran

Abstract: (21 Views)

Background & Aim: The presence of recalcitrant pharmaceuticals, particularly the antibiotic metronidazole, in pharmaceutical wastewater poses a significant threat to water resources, ecosystems, and human health. The inefficiency of conventional treatment methods underscores the urgent need for research into effective and sustainable technologies to eliminate these compounds and mitigate environmental risks.
Methods: This research was conducted with the aim of investigating and comparing the efficiency of coagulation-Fenton oxidation and coagulation-electro-Fenton oxidation processes. In this study, two coagulants, PAC and FeCl₃, were compared. Furthermore, the parameters of H₂O₂, pH, Fe²⁺, and reaction time were examined in the Fenton process, while the parameters of H₂O₂, pH, current intensity, and reaction time were investigated in the electro-Fenton process.
Results: The results indicate that the PAC coagulant at an optimal pH of 7 and a concentration of 90 mg/L achieved the highest COD removal efficiency of approximately 52.1%. The combined process of chemical coagulation with Fenton oxidation, under optimal conditions of pH=4, H₂O₂₌2.0mM, and Fe²⁺=0.2 mM, a COD removal efficiency of 74.3%. In the electro-Fenton process, under optimal conditions of pH=4, H₂O₂₌0.15 mM, and V=20V, a COD removal efficiency of 79.9% was obtained. The wastewater treatment costs for the coagulation-Fenton and coagulation-electro-Fenton methods were calculated to be 21.1 and 29.7 per cubic meter, respectively. The cost per kilogram of removed COD was determined to be 4.45 and 6.40, respectively.
Conclusion: The findings suggest that there is no significant difference in the removal efficiency between the two processes (electro-Fenton’s efficiency is only 5.6% higher than Fenton’s). Considering the higher operational cost of electro-Fenton, the Fenton process is recommended as the preferred option for metronidazole treatment and removal. However, toxicity studies on the treated effluent using coagulation-Fenton oxidation processes should be investigated in future research.

Keywords: Metronidazole, coagulation, electro-Fenton Oxidation, Fenton oxidation

Full-Text [PDF 415 kb] (25 Downloads)

Type of Study: Research | Subject: Special
Received: 2025/06/7 | Accepted: 2025/10/11 | Published: 2026/06/29

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