Efficiency of Fenton Oxidation Process in Removal of Phenol in Aqueous Solutions

Among the different compounds of water pollutants which generally discharge into water resources through raw wastewater and effluent, phenol is particularly important. This substance is an abundant compound which also enters into water resources naturally. Since phenol is a toxic substance and eliminating it through a biological method is difficult, using the process of Fenton Oxidation seems appropriate because of the facility and the possibility of application in different scales and also economic considerations. In this study, the efficiency of Fenton oxidation process in the removal of phenol from aqueous solutions is examined.Method: This is an experimental study which is carried out in laboratory scale. The solution under study is prepared synthetically from different phenol concentrations. The optimized parameters in Fenton process including pH, reaction time and dosage of H2O2 and Fe2+ were considered. Phenol concentration is measured using a spectrophotometer (UV-Vis) according to procedure of the standard method book. In the Fenton process, maximum phenol removal was found 96 % at following conditions pH=3-4, reaction time =30 min, 0.5 molar H2O2 and 0.03 molar ferric sulfate. The results of this study showed that Fenton Oxidation process has a high efficiency in the removal of phenol from aqueous solutions