Powering with Solar Energy the Anodic Oxidation of Wastewater Polluted with Pesticides

This work focuses on the development of new sustainable and environmentally friendly electro-oxidation processes, made by the combination of photovoltaic panels and electrolytic cells equipped with diamond anodes. In order to evaluate the best operation mode, three cases of study were evaluated for the treatment of synthetic wastes polluted with clopyralid: (1) electrolysis at constant specific electric charge but changing intensity (by following power production profile with both the flow rate and the current intensity), (2) electrolysis at variable specific current charge, keeping the value in the average of case 1 but changing the intensity and keeping the flow rate constant and (3) electrolysis at constant specific electric charge and constant intensity applied and flow rate treated (by keeping the average electric charge applied in the same value than in the previous case). Results obtained showed significant differences between the performance of the technology in the three cases of study, pointing out that the best quality in the effluents was obtained in case 1 and the highest efficiency in the use of energy in case 2. The changes in the pH of the effluents were important and together with the changes observed in the intermediates, indicate that changing the operation mode (from the viewpoint of the power fed) may affect importantly to the performance of the system also from a mechanistic point of view