Flocculation synergistic with nano zero-valent iron augmented attapulgite @ chitosan as Fenton-like catalyst for the treatment of landfill leachate

In this study, nano-zero-valent iron (NZVI) was added to attapulgite/chitosan and used as a catalyst in the heterogeneous Fenton process to degrade stabilized landfill leachate. Landfill leachate has serious environmental impacts due to the complexity and diversity of its pollutants. A magnetic catalyst (NZVI@PATP/CS) was prepared by a liquid-phase reduction method. The NZVI@PATP/CS were characterized by XRD, FTIR and SEM. The pH of leachate and the dosage of catalyst and H2O2 were changed to determine the best-operating conditions for the effective removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total phosphorus(TP). To understand the adsorption degradation mechanism, the quenching experiments of free radicals were carried out. The results showed that the degradation rates of COD and TP were 66% and 92%, respectively, under the optimum pH value of 8, the dosage of H2O2 of 5 mL, and the dosage of the catalyst of 0.25 g for 60 min.