Electrochemical degradation of 4-chlorophenol in aqueous solution using modified PbO₂ anode

The electrochemical oxidation of 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) in aqueous solution was studied by electrochemical oxidation using modified PbO₂ electrode as anode. The influence of several operating parameters, such as initial 4-CP concentration, applied current density, and supporting electrolyte (Na₂SO₄) concentration was investigated. Ultraviolet spectroscopy and total organic carbon (TOC) measurements were conducted to study the kinetics of 4-CP electrochemical reaction and the mineralization efficiency of 4-CP. The experimental results showed that the 4-CP degradation always followed a pseudo-first-order kinetics. The higher mineralization of 4-CP and the lower current efficiency (CE) were obtained by the lower initial 4-CP concentration. The applied current density showed a positive influence on the degradation of 4-CP and the removal of TOC, but a higher applied current density led to a lower CE. Although Na₂SO₄ concentration of 0.05 M resulted in a higher 4-CP and TOC removal, the result of one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicates that Na₂SO₄ concentration is not the significant parameter for 4-CP removal in electrochemical oxidation.