Quantitative Assessment of the Formation of Polychlorinated Derivatives, PCDD/Fs, in the Electrochemical Oxidation of 2‑Chlorophenol As Function of the Electrolyte Type

The electrochemical degradation of 2-chlorophenol (2-CP) on boron-doped diamond (BDD) anodes was carried out using two electrolytes, NaCl and Na2SO4. Both electrolytes supported complete mineralization of 2-CP, but faster rates of degradation were observed in NaCl. After 4 h of oxidation, the total organic carbon (TOC) balance neared 100% with Na2SO4 for identifiable compounds, whereas 4 mM of TOC remained unidentified with NaCl. Since chlorophenols are known to be precursors of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), a rigorous assessment of intermediate products was carried out. When near complete mineralization was achieved, the use of NaCl resulted in the concentration of total PCDD/Fs increasing 2.68 × 104 times compared to the untreated sample, and to toxicity values several times higher than the maximum level established by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for water ingestion. When Na2SO4 was used, the increase in total PCDD/Fs concentration was 134 times lower than with NaCl and there was no significant 2,3,7,8-PCDD/Fs formation. Thus, we emphasize the importance of electrolyte selection in electro-oxidation processes, especially when PCDD/Fs precursors are initially present or may be formed in the treated water samples.