RESPONSE SURFACE METHODOLOGY APPLIED TO ELECTRO-FENTON PROCESS FOR DEGRADATION OF RED BEMACID AS TEXTILE DYE MODEL

The textile industry produces persistent organic pollutants (POPs) that pose significant risks to ecosystems because of their toxic and hazardous nature. Consequently, there is an urgent requirement for the development of effective techniques to treat the effluents and remove these compounds. This work studied the viability of the Electro-Fenton (EF) process as a potential alternative for treating textile wastewater contaminated with POPs. A batch electrochemical reactor, equipped with a platinum grid cathode and stainless-steel sacrificial anode, was utilized to eliminate Red Bemacid (RB) dye. The study investigated the impact of four key operational parameters: (i) stirring speed (rpm), (ii) oxygen flow rate (L/min), (iii) supporting electrolyte concentration [Na2SO4] (mg/L), and (iv) current intensity (A), as well as their interactions on RB removal. To perform this, Central Composite Experimental Design (CCD) and Response Surface Methodology (RSM) were employed. Under optimized EF conditions for RB removal (stirring speed = 205.09 rpm, oxygen flow rate = 0.20 L/min, current intensity = 0.306 A, and supporting electrolyte concentration = 0.09 M), the EF process demonstrated exceptional removal efficiency, achieving approximately 94.51% removal of RB. The obtained results showed that the kinetic data of RB removal were in good agreement with the Behnajady-Modirshahla-Ghanbery (BMG) model. The CCD analysis revealed that the main effect of the current intensity had a significant impact on RB removal, as well as the interaction of all paired variables.