Intensification of advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) for the degradation of bisphenol-A

Abstract

Abstract Bisphenol-A (BPA), a precursor for many polymers, is a harmful compound for living organisms if present beyond permissible limits in aqueous streams. The combinations of oxidation processes like Hydrodynamic Cavitation (HC), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and Fenton’s reagent (H2O2 + FeSO4) were examined for the degradation of BPA in the present study. The effects of operating parameters like inlet pressure, initial concentration of BPA, orifice geometry were investigated on BPA degradation. The degradation rates of BPA increased with inlet pressure up to 0.5 MPa and then showed a decreasing trend beyond 0.5 MPa. The initial concentration of BPA had an inverse relation with the degradation percentage. The multiple hole orifice plate showed better degradation of BPA compared to the single hole orifice plate. In the intensification studies, the addition of hydrogen peroxide to BPA in the cavitation reactor favored BPA degradation. A combination of HC + Fenton’s reagent (0.1 M H2O2 + 0.01 M FeSO4) significantly degraded BPA present in the aqueous streams.