The performance of electrosynthesised ferrate (VI) ion, electrocoagulation and peroxi-electrocoagulation processes for degradation of cholesterol-lowering drug atorvastatin

Abstract

The degradation of atorvastatin (ATV) by electrosynthesised ferrate (VI) ion, electrocoagulation (EC) and peroxi-electrocoagulation (p-EC) were compared in this study. The effects of pH, Fe (VI) dose, electrode type, current density, supporting electrolyte concentration (SEC) and hydrogen peroxide concentration were investigated. All processes were affected by pH. Acidic pH values showed better efficiencies for each process, which was related to the drug's solubility properties and dominant produced species with acidic values. Hybrid electrodes were found to be the most efficient electrode pairs. In EC, optimum pH value, current density and SEC were determined to be 3, 2.5mA/cm(2) and 200mg/L, respectively. The preferred pH and H2O2 concentration in the p-EC process were found to be 3 and 250mg/L, respectively. Eighty-two per cent specific drug removal and 77% TOC removal were achieved. The performance of the processes for ATV degradation were found to be in the order of peroxi-electrocoagulation>Fe(VI)>electrocoagulation.