• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
• /
• v.34 no.3
• /
• pp.318-325
• /
• 2023

The detection of antibiotics in treated wastewater is a global concern as it enters water bodies and causes the development of antibiotic resistance genes in humans and marine life. The study specifically aims to explore the potential of ferrate (VI) in eliminating tetracycline (TCL). The degradation of TCL is optimized with parametric studies, viz., the effect of pH and concentration, which provide insights into TCL elimination. The increase in pH (from 7.0 to 10.0) favors the percentage removal of TCL; however, the increase in TCL concentrations from 0.02 to 0.3 mmol/L caused a decrease in percentage TCL removal from 97.4 to 29.1%, respectively, at pH 10.0. The time-dependent elimination of TCL using ferrate (VI) followed pseudosecond-order rate kinetics, and an apparent rate constant (kapp) was found at 1978.8 L² /mol² /min. Coexisting ions, i.e., NaNO₃, Na₂HPO₄, NaCl, and oxalic acid, negligibly affect the oxidation of TCL by ferrate (VI). However, EDTA and glycine significantly inhibited the elimination of TCL using ferrate (VI). The mineralization of TCL using ferrate (VI) was favored at higher pH, and it increased from 18.57 to 32.52% when the solution pH increased from pH 7.0 to 10.0. Additionally, the real water samples containing a relatively high level of inorganic carbon spiked with TCL revealed that ferrate (VI) performance in the removal of TCL was unaffected, which further inferred the potential of ferrate (VI) in real implications.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
• /
• v.33 no.3
• /
• pp.258-271
• /
• 2022

Ferrate (VI) [Fe(VI)] has multi-functional features, which include potential oxidant, coagulant, and disinfectant. Because of these distinctive properties, numerous studies on the synthesis of ferrate (VI) and its possible applications in a wide research areas have been investigated. This review highlights the recent development made on different synthesis methods for ferrate including wet chemical, electrochemical, and thermal methods. The recent advancements achieved in ferrate (VI) oxidation and the synergistic effect of the oxidative properties of ferrate (VI) in the presence of various compounds or materials are also included. Moreover, this review discusses the applications of ferrate (VI) for degrading various types of water pollutants and its reaction mechanism. The optimized experimental conditions and interaction mechanisms of ferrate (VI) with micro-pollutants, dyes, and other organic compounds are also elaborated upon to provide greater insight for future studies. Lastly, the limitations and prospects of the ferrate use in the treatment of polluted water are described.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
• /
• v.32 no.3
• /
• pp.340-347
• /
• 2021

The aim of this research is to assess the use of high purity potassium ferrate (VI) for the efficient removal of sulfamethoxazole (SMX), one of the potential micro-pollutant found in aqueous waste. In addition, various parametric studies have enabled us to deduce the mechanism in the degradation process. The pH and concentration of sulfamethoxazole enable the degradation of pollutants. Moreover, the time-dependent degradation nature of sulfamethoxazole showed that the degradation of ferrate (VI) in presence of sulfamethoxazole followed the pseudo-second order kinetics and the value of rate constant increased with an increase in the SMX concentration. The stoichiometry of SMX and ferrate (VI) was found to be 2 : 1 and the overall rate constant was estimated to be 4559 L²/mmol²/min. On the other hand, the increase in pH from 8.0 to 5.0 had catalyzed the degradation of SMX. Similarly, a significant percentage in mineralization of SMX increased with a decrease in pH and concentration. The presence of co-existing ions and SMS spiked real water samples was extensively analyzed in the removal of SMX using ferrate (VI) to simulate studies on real matrix implication of ferrate (VI) technology.

• Environmental Engineering Research
• /
• v.20 no.1
• /
• pp.89-97
• /
• 2015

Remediation of wastewater contaminated with metal(II)-complexed species (Cu(II)-NTA (NTA: nitrilotriacetic acid), Cu(II)-EDTA (EDTA: ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid) and Cd(II)-EDTA is attempted using the potential applicability of ferrate(VI). Kinetics of pollutant degradation is obtained with the removal of ferrate(VI) studied at wide range of pH (8.0-10.0) and the concentration of metal(II)-complexed species (0.3 to 15.0 mmol/L) employing a constant dose of ferrate(VI) i.e., 1.0 mmol/L. Pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order rate constants were obtained in the reduction of ferrate(VI) which was then employed to obtain the overall rate constants of the pollutant degradation. The mineralization of NTA and EDTA was obtained with the change in TOC (total organic carbon) values collected by the ferrate(VI) treated pollutant samples. Decrease in pH and molar pollutant concentrations was greatly favored the percent mineralization of NTA or EDTA by the ferrate(VI) treatment. The treated pollutant samples were filtered and subjected for AAS (atomic absorption spectrophotometric) analysis to assess the simultaneous removal of copper and cadmium from aqueous solutions at the studied pH as well at the elevated pH 12.0. Results show that an enhanced removal of cadmium or copper was achieved at pH 12.0. Overall, ferrate(VI) possesses multifunctional application in wastewater treatment as it oxidizes the degradable impurities and removes metallic impurities by coagulation process.