Evaluation of persulfate enhanced electrocoagulation (EC/PS) for bio-treated landfill leachate: Organics transformation pathways and carbon flow quantitative analysis

The sulfate radical-based advanced oxidation processes (SR-AOPs) have shown promise in treating bio-treated landfill leachate (BLL). However, little is known about the dissolved organic matter (DOM) transformation and reaction mechanisms at the molecular level after treating BLL using SR-AOPs. This study investigates the DOM degradation and transformation pathways during both electrocoagulation (EC) and persulfate enhanced electrocoagulation (EC/PS) of real BLL samples. The results indicate that the removal efficiency of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total organic carbon (TOC) were enhanced to 46.34% and 36.39%, respectively, once persulfate is coupled with EC. Additionally, the removal of fluorescent contaminants in BLL significantly enhanced after treatment with EC/PS to 91.57%, 80.99%, and 39.10% for biogenic humic-like components C1, C2, and C3, respectively. A decrease in the proportion of macromolecular and aromatic matters was observed after the EC/PS process. The degree of oxidation of DOM was reduced, and the compounds with unstable structure and high biodegradability became the main compounds in the EC/PS effluent. The analysis of sediments generated by EC and EC/PS showed a similar composition of FeOOH and Fe₃O₄, although there was additional Fe₂(SO₄)₃ in the EC/PS sludge. The degraded organics in the solution and sediment phase were quantified by material flow analysis, indicating that the precipitation was the main contributor to DOM removal during the EC/PS process. These findings aid in understanding the role of PS in the EC/PS process during real landfill leachate treatment and reevaluate the advantages and limitations of PS as an oxidant.