Removal of antimony and aniline from wastewater by PMS combined with electrocoagulation

Abstract

Abstract Antimony (Sb) and aniline are typical pollutants in printing and dyeing wastewater. This study explored the simultaneous removal of Sb and aniline by peroxymonosulfate (PMS) combined with electroflocculation (EC) and the removal mechanisms were systematically studied. The effects of PMS concentration, NaCl concentration, and initial pH on the removal efficiency were investigated. Under the optimal condition (anode: iron plate, cathode: aluminum plate, current density: 20 A/m2, PMS concentration: 2.5 mM, NaCl concentration: 0.1 mol/L, and initial pH: 8), Sb and aniline could be removed entirely after 20 min of reaction. The results showed that PMS facilitated the formation of iron flocs, improving the Sb removal efficiency, and electrical activation of PMS was conducive to the removal of aniline. In addition, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) analysis and quenching experiments confirmed that 1O2 contributed most to the degradation of aniline, followed by •OH and SO4•−. This study demonstrated that the EC/PMS system could remove heavy metals and organic matter simultaneously, and the system can be extended to treating similar printing and dyeing wastewater.