Proclaiming Electrochemical Oxidation as a Potent Technology for the Treatment of Wastewater Containing Xenobiotic Compounds: A Mini Review

Abstract

Xenobiotics are newly identified contaminants, recently discovered to be present in the environment and possessing potential threat to different components of the ecosystems due to their inherent toxicity and endocrine-disrupting nature. Moreover, due to their recalcitrant nature, these emerging contaminants are not effectively removed by existing conventional wastewater treatment technologies. In this regard, the present review focuses on the development of electrochemical oxidation (EO) as a sustainable and efficacious technology for the treatment of wastewater containing xenobiotics. The technology of EO works on the process of in-situ generation of highly reactive hydroxyl radicals (OH˙), commonly via metallic cathode catalysts due to the application of electric current, which further oxidizes and is thus effective in eliminating pollutants such as xenobiotics from wastewater. This mini-review will aid in understanding the application of EO for the removal of xenobiotics from wastewater and different metal catalysts employed in EO for the production of hydrogen peroxide. Moreover, the critical factors affecting the performance of EO for xenobiotics removal have also been elucidated for enhancing the understanding of the readers in terms of scaling-up of an EO reactor.