Grupos de investigación

  1. Portada
  2. Lines of Research: Main Topics
  3. Advanced Oxidation Processes for Wastewater Treatment

Advanced Oxidation Processes for Wastewater Treatment

Introduction

Industrial activities generate polluted wastewaters with a vast variety of contaminants that may form a mixture of compounds in a wide range of concentrations. The growth of wastewater production has become a major problem to be solved due to the presence of persistent organic pollutants that cannot be conveniently removed through conventional treatments. The toxicity associated to these harmful pollutants constitutes a serious environmental health problem that requires the development of more effective technologies for the removal of such toxic organic pollutants from wastewaters.

Oxidation technologies that could be conducted at atmospheric pressure and mild temperatures represent desirable alternatives from an economical point of view. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), such as ozonation, photocatalysis , electrochemical processesand Fenton’s Reagent, or using catalytic wet peroxide oxidation (CWPO). The use of advanced oxidation aims to eliminate these pollutants or at least reduce the hazardous nature of treated aqueous waste to allow a subsequent conventional treatment.


Results


Related works

  • García-Cervillla, R., Abruzzese, M., Lorenzo, D., Santos, A., Papini, M.P., Lorini, L (2026). Modeling trichloroethylene biodegradation: aqueous kinetics and column performance using microbial consortia 

    . Chemical Engineering Science, 335: 124398.

  • Adeel, M., Hayat, A., Santos, A., Cotillas, S., Cirillo, C., Sarno, M., Venditto, V., Rizzo, L. (2026). Degradation of contaminants of emerging concern in urban wastewater by iron-activated sewage sludge-derived biochar/peroxymonosulfate: A comparison with ozonation process 

    . Separation and Purification Technology, 401: 138539.

  • Sánchez-Yepes, A., Ferreira, A.P., Santos, A., Romero, A., Gomes, H.T., Lorenzo, D. (2025). Novel carbon-based materials for sustainable water treatment: Perfluorooctanoic acid adsorption and adsorbent regeneration via thermally activated persulfate oxidation. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 13(6): 120084.
  • Scaggiante, G., Checa-Fernández, A., Zingaretti, D., Domínguez, C.M., Santos, A., Baciocchi, R. (2024). Activation of peroxydisulfate and peroxymonosulfate by zero-valent iron and FeCu bimetals for 4-chlorophenol oxidation in water 

    . Journal of Water Process Engineering, 68: 106446.

  • Sánchez-Yepes, A., Santos, A., Rosas, J.M., Rodríguez-Mirasol, J., Cordero, T., Lorenzo, D. (2023). Sustainable reuse of toxic spent granular activated carbon by heterogeneous fenton reaction intensified by temperature changes 

    . Chemosphere, 341: 140047.

  • Conte, L.O., Dominguez, C.M., Checa-Fernandez, A., Santos, A. (2022). Vis LED Photo-Fenton Degradation of 124-Trichlorobenzene at a Neutral pH Using Ferrioxalate as Catalyst 

    . International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(15): 9733.

  • Sánchez-Yepes, A., Santos, A., Rosas, J.M., Rodríguez-Mirasol, J., Cordero, T., Lorenzo, D. (2022). Regeneration of Granulated Spent Activated Carbon with 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene Using Thermally Activated Persulfate 

    . Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research, 61(27): 9611-9620.

  • Lorenzo, D., Santos, A., Sánchez-Yepes, A., Conte, L.Ó., Domínguez, C.M (2021). 

     

    Abatement of 1,2,4-trichlorobencene by wet peroxide oxidation catalysed by goethite and enhanced by visible led light at neutral pH. 

     

    Catalysts, 11(1): 1–21.

     

     

  • Rodríguez, S., Lorenzo, D., Santos, A., & Romero, A. (2020). Comparison of real wastewater oxidation with Fenton/Fenton-like and persulfate activated by NaOH and Fe (II). Journal of Environmental Management, 255: 109926. 

  • Domínguez, C., Rodríguez, V., Montero, E., Romero, A. & Santos, A. (2019). Methanol-enhanced degradation of carbon tetrachloride by alkaline activation of persulfate: Kinetic model. Science of the Total Environment, 666: 631-634.

  • Lominchar, M. A., Rodríguez, S., Lorenzo, D., Santos, N., Romero, A., Santos, A. (2017). Phenol abatement using persulfate activated by nZVI, H2O2 and NaOH and development of a kinetic model for alkaline activation. Environmental Technology, 39: 35-43.
  • Santos, A., Rodriguez, S., Pardo, F., Romero, A. (2016). Use of Fenton reagent combined with humic acids for the removal of PFOA from contaminated water. Science of the Total Environment. 563-564: 657-663.
  • Rodriguez, S., Santos, A., Romero, A. (2016). Oxidation of priority and emerging pollutants with persulfate activated by iron: Effect of iron valence and particle size. Chemical Engineering Journal, 318: 197-205.
  • S. Rodriguez, L. Vasquez, A. Romero, A. Santos (2014) Dye Oxidation in Aqueous Phase by Using Zero-Valent Iron as Persulfate Activator: Kinetic Model and Effect of Particle Size. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 53(31): 12288-12294.
  • M. Prisciandaro, M. Capocelli, A. Lancia, D. Musmarra, S. Rodriguez, A. Santos, A. Romero (2014) On the Comparison and the Synergistic Effect of Chemical AOP and Hydrodynamic Cavitation. Chemical Engineering Transactions, 39: 1783-1788.
  • S. Rodriguez, L. Vasquez, D. Costa, A. Romero and A. Santos (2014). Oxidation of Orange G by Persulfate Activated by Fe2+, Fe3+ and Zero Valent Iron (ZVI). Chemosphere, 101: 86-92.
  • Antoniou, M.G., Rodríguez Vega, S., Spiliotopoulou, A., Tysklind, M., La Cour Jansen, J., Andersen, H.R. (2013). Required ozone doses for removing pharmaceuticals from wastewater effluents. Science of the Total Environment, 456-457: 42-49.
  • Hansen, K.M., Zortea, R., Piketty, A., Vega, S.R., Andersen, H.R. (2013). Photolytic removal of DBPs by Medium pressure UV in swimming pool water. Science of the Total Environment, 443: 850-856.  
  • Rodriguez, S., A. Santos, A. Romero and F. Vicente (2012). Kinetic of oxidation and mineralization of priority and emerging pollutants by activated persulfate. Chemical Engineering Journal, 213: 225-234.
  • Rodriguez, S., A. Santos and A. Romero (2011). Effectiveness of AOP's on abatement of emerging pollutants and their oxidation intermediates: Nicotine removal with Fenton's Reagent. Desalination, 280(1-3): 108-113.
  • Santos, A., P. Yustos, S. Rodriguez, E. Simon and A. Romero (2010). Fenton Pretreatment in the Catalytic Wet Oxidation of Phenol. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 49(12): 5583-5587.
  • Santos, A., P. Yustos, S. Rodriguez and A. Romero (2010). Mineralization lumping kinetic model for abatement of organic pollutants using Fenton's reagent. Catalysis Today, 151(1-2): 89-93.
  • Santos, A., P. Yustos, S. Rodriguez, F. Vicente, A. Romero (2009). Kinetic Modeling of Toxicity Evolution during Phenol Oxidation. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 48(6): 2844-2850.
  • Cordero, T., J. Rodriguez-Mirasol, J. Bedia, S. Gomis, P. Yustos, F. Garcia-Ochoa, A. Santos (2008). Activated carbon as catalyst in wet oxidation of phenol: Effect of the oxidation reaction on the catalyst properties and stability. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 81(1-2): 122-131.
  • Santos A., Rodriguez S., Garcia-Ochoa F., Yustos P. (2007). Oxidation and mineralization of substituted phenols by Fenton's reagent and catalytic wet oxidation. Water Science and Technology. 55: 37-45.
  • Santos A., Yustos P., Rodríguez S., García-Ochoa F. (2007). Decolorization of textile dyes by wet oxidation using activated carbon as catalyst. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 46(8): 2423-2427.
  • Santos A., Yustos P., Rodríguez S., Simón E., García-Ochoa F. (2007). Abatement of phenolic mixtures by catalytic wet oxidation enhanced by fenton´s pre-treatment: effect of H2O2 dosage and temperature. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 146 (3): 595-601.
  • Santos A. Yustos P., Rodríguez S., García-Ochoa F. (2006).  Catalytic wet oxidation of phenol, cresols and nitrophenols by using activated carbon in acid and basic media. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 65: 269-281.  
  • Santos A., Yustos P., Gomis S., Ruiz G., Garcia-Ochoa F. (2006). Reaction Network and Kinetic Modelling of Catalytic Wet Oxidation of Phenol Catalyzed by Activated Carbon. Chemical Engineering Science, 61: 2457-2467.
  • Santos A., Yustos P., Quintanilla A., Garcia-Ochoa F. (2005). Influence of pH on the Wet Oxidation of Phenol with Copper Catalyst. Topics in Catalysis, 33: 181-192.
  • Santos A., Yustos P., Quintanilla A., Ruiz, G., Garcia-Ochoa F. (2005). Kinetic model of wet oxidation of phenol at basic pH using a copper catalyst. Chemical Engineering Science, 60: 4868- 4880.
  • Santos A., Yustos P., Gomis S., Ruiz G., Garcia-Ochoa F. (2005). Generalized Kinetic Model for the Catalytic Wet Oxidation of Phenol Using Activated Carbon as the Catalyst. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 44: 3869-3878.
  • Santos A., Yustos P., Cordero T., Gomis S., Rodríguez S., García-Ochoa F. (2005). Catalytic wet oxidation of phenol on active carbon: stability, phenol conversion and mineralization. Catalysis Today, 102-103: 213-218.
  • Santos A., Yustos P., Quintanilla A., García-Ochoa F. (2004). Lower toxicity route in catalytic wet oxidation of phenol at basic pH by using bicarbonate media. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 53: 181-194.
  • Santos A., Yustos P., Quintanilla A., García-Ochoa F., Casas J.A., Rodríguez J.J. (2004). Evolution of toxicity upon wet catalytic oxidation of phenol. Environmental Science & Technology, 38: 133-138.