Project: Optimization of heterogeneous photo-Fenton processes for enhanced CECs degradation in wastewater treatment (WP1)
Host institution: UNISA
Supervisor(s): Luigi Rizzo (PhD Promoter)
Objectives: To optimize the heterogeneous photo-Fenton (HPF) process for efficient disinfection and CECs degradation.
DC5 will advance the HPF as a viable treatment for urban wastewater, circumventing the limitations of current technologies such as toxic by-product formation in ozonation and inefficiency in adsorption methods. DC5 will synthesize and characterize innovative semiconducting nanomaterials, including doped-perovskites and iron oxide-perovskite heterojunctions, to operate effectively under neutral pH conditions. Comparative analyses of HPF and Solar Photo Fenton (SPF) will be conducted at different pH levels, and the results will be benchmarked against the processes investigated in the UNISA1 project for CEC removal and pathogen inactivation. AI-machine learning will be employed to predict the degradation efficiencies of various pollutants. Additionally, the project will assess the resultant effluent toxicity and evaluate the environmental impact using life cycle assessment tools, contributing to the refinement of wastewater treatment directives.
Expected results: Enhanced CECs removal and disinfection via HPF, surpassing traditional SPF in efficiency and sustainability.
Planned secondments:
- WSU (Sup.: L. Sheppard): M13-15 (3 months): Training on prediction of pollutant solar degradation efficiencies.
- INOPSYS (Sup.: P. Van Broeck): M35-38 (4 months): Training on scale-up of AOP systems to industrial scale.
Enrolment in Doctoral degree: UNISAL Doctoral School of Science, Engineering and Technology (IT)
