Treatment of Sugar Industry Wastewater via Fenton Oxidation with Zero-Valent Iron

The sugar industry is a significant contributor to wastewater production, primarily due to its substantial water usage. The treatment and reuse of this wastewater have become pressing concerns. In the present study, sugar industry wastewater was treated via Fenton oxidation using zero-valent iron (ZVI). The study focused on assessing the impact of key reaction parameters, namely pH, ZVI amount, [H2O2]0 on the removal of TOC. Optimal reaction conditions for the Fenton oxidation process were identified, with a pH of 3.5, 2 g/L of ZVI, and 4 mM of H2O2, resulting in nearly 65% of TOC removal. The kinetic study revealed that the observed reaction adhered to a second-order kinetic reaction model. Furthermore, the activation energy for this observed reaction was determined as 49.14 kJ/mol. These findings suggest that Fenton oxidation, utilizing ZVI, holds promise as an effective method for treating wastewater originating from the sugar industry.