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The presence of emerging contaminants (ECs) in water bodies poses a serious threat to the environment and human health, and hence their removal from the environmental matrices is of paramount importance. Among different treatment technologies, the electro-Fenton (EF) process has demonstrated notable efficiency in eliminating these ECs; however, the hefty catalyst cost hampers its upscale applications. Therefore, this research aimed to devise an efficient, highly stable, and cost-effective electrocatalyst to facilitate Fenton reaction for efficacious removal of an EC, Atenolol from water matrices. Hence, a dual-cathode EF system modified with nitrogen-doped iron-absorbed biocarbon (N-FeBC) was employed for targeted removal of Atenolol from different water matrices. Comprehensive material characterization validated the successful synthesis of N-FeBC, with a prominent X- ray diffraction peak of Fe4N, corresponding to a 2θ value of 57.92 and 75.67°. Furthermore, the integration of N in the carbon structure was affirmed by peaks of pyrrolic and oxidized N in the X-ray photoelectron microscopy spectra. Electrochemical characterization including cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and electrochemical active surface area (EASA) demonstrated superior electrocatalytic properties of N-FeBC. Notably, the EIS revealed a 12.7-fold decrease in charge transfer resistance and a 41% increase in EASA upon N-FeBC coating. During the EF treatment, 10 mg/L Atenolol was degraded entirely (∼99.9%) within 45 min at neutral pH and at an applied cathodic potential of 1.4 V vs standard calomel electrode from different water matrices. This enhanced removal can be credited to the perpetual formation of hydroxyl radical (•OH), identified through electron paramagnetic resonance signals. Further, the N-FeBC-catalyzed EF system also displayed high operational stability with just 0.7% efficiency loss per cycle and effectively fragmented Atenolol into benign, nontoxic intermediates as confirmed through the Ecological Structural Activity Relationships tool. Overall, this investigation showcases the efficacy of N-FeBC electrocatalyst for Fenton-mediated oxidation of refractory Atenolol from wastewater, which is in line with the sustainable development goals (SDGs) focusing on good health and well-being (SDG3), clean water and sanitation (SDG6), and life below water (SDG14).
Bashir et al. (Mon,) studied this question.