The Performance of Electro-Fenton (EF) Process in the Removal of the organic polluting load of the olive mill wastewater

Abstract

The treatment of olive mill wastewater is one of the most important environmental problems for Mediterranean countries. This effluent contains many organic compounds like polyphenols. This study focuses on performance evaluation of the electro-Fenton process, using graphite electrodes and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) for removal of polyphenols and chemical oxygen demand from olive mill wastewater. The experiments are carried out at different values of the potential and for different pH of the medium. The results obtained under the optimal conditions show that 81% of the chemical oxygen demand and 77% of the polyphenols were eliminated when the pH = 3 and the imposed potential is 2 Volt.