A review on the treatment of petroleum refinery wastewater by Electro-Fenton process

Oil and gas extraction is a rapidly expanding business that is expected to grow much more in the future years. One of the most harmful byproducts of oil refineries is the petroleum refinery wastewater (PRW). A wide range of minerals and chemical compounds are commonly found in PRW. Before petroleum effluent may be discharged into the environment, an appropriate treatment technique must be selected. As a result of their low efficiency, high capital and operating costs as well as sensitivity to low biodegradability and toxicity, conventional treatment methods have been shown to be non-active. Researchers from all over the world are still working to find a comprehensive answer to this problem. In the field of wastewater treatment, the Electro-Fenton process (EF) is a new treatment method in progress stage. For the treatment of refractory compounds that are difficult to degrade in traditional wastewater treatment plants, application of Electro-Fenton is useful since it use of hydroxyl radicals as a powerful oxidizing agent to oxidize hazardous pollution. In this review, the basic characteristics of petroleum refinery wastewater and mechanism of the electro-Fenton process are reviewed in details. Besides, effects of operating conditions like electrode materials, the concentrations of hydrogen peroxide and ferrous ions in the electrolyte, the pH of the electrolyte and oxygen sparging rates are also included. Electro-performance Fenton’s in the treatment of petroleum refinery effluent was described in this research. And lastly, some current issues and possible upcoming ones were outlined.