Electrochemical treatment of wastewater to remove contaminants from the production and disposal of plastics : a review

Malinović, Borislav N. (author), Markelj, Jernej (author), Žgajnar Gotvajn, Andreja (author), Kralj Cigić, Irena (author), Prosen, Helena (author)

Wastewater is major source of contaminants originating from the production, usage, and disposal of plastic materials. Due to their poor biodegradability of these contaminants in municipal wastewater treatment plants, additional advanced oxidation processes such as electrochemical treatments have been developed to improve the standard biological treatment. Here we review the applications of electrochemical treatments of wastewater for the removal of the following plastic contaminants: bisphenol A, phthalic acid esters, and benzotriazoles. We present the effectiveness of treatment in terms of contaminant removal and mineralization; the identification of transformation products; toxicity assessment; and process energy requirements. In the present review, we have focused on the applications of electrochemical treatments of wastewater for the removal of three important groups of contaminants originating mainly from plastics: bisphenol A, phthalic acid esters, and benzotriazoles. The review focuses on the research of electrochemical treatments for these contaminants from the last five years. The papers are assessed from the point of i) effectiveness of treatment in terms of contaminant removal and mineralization; ii) identification of transformation products; iii) toxicity assessment; iv) processes’ energy requirements. Electrochemical treatments were confirmed to be a viable option for the removal of selected contaminants from wastewater.

• Language: English
• Keywords: bisphenol A, benzotriazoles, electrochemical treatment, emerging contaminants, plastic materials, phthalic acid esters, wastewater
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.02 - Review Article
• Organization: FKKT - Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2022
• Number of pages: Str. 3765-3787
• Numbering: Vol. 20, iss. 6
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-154043
• UDC: 628.349:66.087
• ISSN on article: 1610-3653
• DOI: 10.1007/s10311-022-01497-8
• COBISS.SI-ID: 119469059
• Publication date in RUL: 22.01.2024

MALINOVIĆ, Borislav N., MARKELJ, Jernej, ŽGAJNAR GOTVAJN, Andreja, KRALJ CIGIĆ, Irena and PROSEN, Helena, 2022, Electrochemical treatment of wastewater to remove contaminants from the production and disposal of plastics : a review. Environmental chemistry letters [online]. 2022. Vol. 20, no. 6, p. 3765–3787. [Accessed 11 April 2025]. DOI 10.1007/s10311-022-01497-8. Retrieved from: https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/IzpisGradiva.php?lang=eng&id=154043

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Environmental chemistry letters
• Shortened title: Environ. chem. lett.
• Publisher: Springer Nature, Association of Chemistry and the Environment
• ISSN: 1610-3653
• COBISS.SI-ID: 817659

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: bisfenol A, benzotriazoli, elektrokemijska obdelava, emergentna onesnaževala, ftalatni estri, odpadna voda, plastični materiali