Pyrite as a sustainable catalyst in electro-Fenton process for improving oxidation of sulfamethazine. Kinetics, mechanism and toxicity assessment.

The degradation of 0.20 mM sulfamethazine (SMT) solutions was investigated by heterogeneous electro-Fenton (EF) process using pyrite as source of Fe(2+) (catalyst) and pH regulator in an undivided electrochemical cell equipped either with a Pt or a BDD anode and carbon-felt as cathode. Effect of pyrite concentration and applied current on the oxidative degradation kinetics and mineralization efficiency has been studied.

Electrochemical mineralization of the antibiotic levofloxacin by electro-Fenton-pyrite process.

Levofloxacin is a large spectrum antibiotic from fluoroquinolones family, widely used and detected in natural waters. Here, this drug was degraded by a novel heterogeneous electro-Fenton (EF) process, so-called EF-pyrite, in which pyrite powder in suspension regulates the solution pH to 3.0 and supplies 0.