Electrochemical oxidation technology: A review of its application in high-efficiency treatment of wastewater containing persistent organic pollutants

Over the years, industry, agriculture and other human activities have discharged a large number of organic pollutants into the natural environment. Among these, persistent organic pollutants (POPs), mainly represented by polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and aldrin, have attracted intense attention. To achieve the safe discharge of wastewater, a variety of treatment technologies have been used to effectively eliminate the POPs in water. This article reviews the currently most promising approach of electrochemical oxidation (EO) technology, introduces its basic principles, and describes the research progress and application status of electrode materials, electrochemical reactors and electrocatalysts. At the same time, the effects of operating conditions such as current density and electrolyte type on the degradation effect are discussed. Finally, the performance of the combination of EO technology and other water treatment technologies is summarized. In these processes, we discussed in detail the directions for improvement and potential mechanisms of EO technology, and found that the choice of appropriate operating conditions can not only improve the processing efficiency, but also reduces the processing cost. For example, for different POPs, different supporting electrolytes are selected and the pH value of the reaction is controlled. However, we should note that electrode optimization is always the core of EO technology improvement, and the use of high-efficiency electrocatalysts and the combination of combined processes are promising for the broader use of EO technology.