article · Catalysts
Industrial wastewater carries hazardous pollutants, including endocrine-disrupting chemicals and volatile organic compounds. To address this challenge, a tri-metallic nickel-cobalt-iron layered double hydroxide electrocatalyst was synthesised via a co-precipitation method with optimised metal ratios. The material was evaluated in a three-electrode electrochemical system using wastewater samples collected from an industrial discharge channel in Islamabad. Testing across voltages ranging from minus 0.02 to 1.6 volts demonstrated robust electrochemical performance, with current density at 1.6 volts rising from 10 to 50 milliamperes per square centimetre across tested scan rates. Treatment achieved a 74.9 percent reduction in chemical oxygen demand, lowering concentrations from 665.6 milligrams per litre to 166.4 milligrams per litre. In addition, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry confirmed substantial reductions in key organic contaminant peak groups associated with endocrine disruptors and volatile organic compounds.
Industrial effluents containing endocrine-disrupting chemicals and volatile organic compounds threaten both natural ecosystems and human health. Conventional treatment methods often fail to break down these complex toxic substances. Demonstrating that an engineered tri-metallic electrocatalyst can substantially cut chemical oxygen demand and remove persistent organic contaminants from actual industrial effluent offers a pathway toward cleaner and safer industrial wastewater management.
The findings point towards applications in industrial effluent treatment, particularly for facilities discharging volatile organic compounds and endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Prospective users include industrial plant operators and environmental engineering firms managing complex wastewater streams. Because the work was conducted using a laboratory-scale three-electrode system on collected effluent, the technology sits at an applied research stage, needing scale-up and continuous-flow pilot validation before real-world commercial implementation.
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Industrial wastewater in Islamabad has led to serious environmental and human health impacts due to the release of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the water bodies. The advent of wastewater treatment technologies has led to the development of novel approaches like the use of an electrocatalyst for efficient and safe removal of toxic contaminants from the wastewater. In this study, an efficient tri-metallic NiCoFe2-LDH electrocatalyst was prepared by optimizing the metal ratios in the synthesis process using a co-precipitation method. The catalyst was characterized by various tools such as UV-visible spectroscopy, SEM, EDX, and FTIR. A three-electrode electrochemical system (counter, reference, and working electrodes) was used for electrocatalytic activity and simultaneous removal of EDCs from the wastewater. Wastewater samples were collected from selected locations along the industrial discharge channel (Nullah Lai) in the industrial zone of Islamabad city. The physio-chemical analysis showed significant water pollution, including EDCs, VOC, and heavy metals. The electrochemical treatment using NiCoFe2-LDH demonstrated high efficiency across different scan rates (5 to 50 mV/s) and voltages (−0.02 to 1.6 V); for instance, at 1.6 V, the current density rises from 10 mA/cm2 in Scan 5 to 50 mA/cm2 in Scan 50. Furthermore, COD levels were significantly reduced by 74.9%, from 665.6 mg/L to 166.4 mg/L, after electrochemical treatment with NiCoFe2-LDH. GCMS analysis of organics revealed that the electrochemical process was effective in reducing several EDC- and VOC-related peak groups. Overall, this study highlights the potential of the electrochemical approach for treating EDC-contaminated wastewater and its applicability as a sustainable solution for industrial wastewater treatment.
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DOI: 10.3390/catal16090813
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