School of Municipal and Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China.
Water Sci Technol. 2013;68(3):552-9. doi: 10.2166/wst.2013.262.
Ammonium-containing wastewater could cause the promotion of eutrophication and a hindrance to the disinfection of water supplies. In this study, the feasibility of removing low-concentration ammonium nitrogen from synthetic and real wastewater by electrochemical oxidation was investigated. Using laboratory-scale electrochemical systems, the effects of chloride concentration, current density, anode materials, cathode materials, electrode gap, initial ammonium concentration and three-dimensional particles on the removal of ammonium nitrogen and current efficiency (CE) were evaluated. Ammonium nitrogen removal was mainly dependent upon anode materials and current density. The performance of two- and three-dimensional electrochemical oxidation systems was comparatively discussed. Both particle electrodes could enhance ammonium nitrogen removal and increase CE. However, the mechanism of the process seemed to be different. Moreover, the interaction of zeolites adsorption and electrochemical oxidation on the anode in a three-dimensional system could favor the regeneration of zeolites. Surface morphology of the used Ru-Ir-Sn/Ti anode revealed its longer working life of electrocatalysis. The result of ammonium degradation for a real wastewater treatment plant effluent showed the degradation rates in a three-dimensional system increased by 1.4 times those in a two-dimensional system.
含氨废水可能会促进富营养化，并对供水的消毒造成阻碍。在这项研究中，我们考察了电化学氧化法从合成废水和实际废水中去除低浓度氨氮的可行性。利用实验室规模的电化学系统，评估了氯离子浓度、电流密度、阳极材料、阴极材料、电极间隙、初始氨氮浓度和三维颗粒对氨氮去除率和电流效率（CE）的影响。氨氮的去除主要取决于阳极材料和电流密度。还比较了二维和三维电化学氧化系统的性能。两种颗粒电极都可以提高氨氮的去除率并提高 CE。然而，该过程的机制似乎有所不同。此外，在三维系统中沸石吸附与阳极电化学氧化之间的相互作用有利于沸石的再生。用过的 Ru-Ir-Sn/Ti 阳极的表面形貌显示出其更长的电催化工作寿命。实际污水处理厂出水的氨氮降解结果表明，三维系统中的降解速率比二维系统提高了 1.4 倍。
