Emergy-based assessment on industrial symbiosis: a case of Shenyang Economic and Technological Development Zone

Industrial symbiosis is the sharing of services, utility, and by-product resources among industries. This is usually made in order to add value, reduce costs, and improve the environment, and therefore has been taken as an effective approach for developing an eco-industrial park, improving resource efficiency, and reducing pollutant emission. Most conventional evaluation approaches ignored the contribution of natural ecosystem to the development of industrial symbiosis and cannot reveal the interrelations between economic development and environmental protection, leading to a need of an innovative evaluation method. Under such a circumstance, we present an emergy analysis-based evaluation method by employing a case study at Shenyang Economic and Technological Development Zone (SETDZ). Specific emergy indicators on industrial symbiosis, including emergy savings and emdollar value of total emergy savings, were developed so that the holistic picture of industrial symbiosis can be presented. Research results show that nonrenewable inputs, imported resource inputs, and associated services could be saved by 89.3, 32.51, and 15.7 %, and the ratio of emergy savings to emergy of the total energy used would be about 25.58 %, and the ratio of the emdollar value of total emergy savings to the total gross regional product (GRP) of SETDZ would be 34.38 % through the implementation of industrial symbiosis. In general, research results indicate that industrial symbiosis could effectively reduce material and energy consumption and improve the overall eco-efficiency. Such a method can provide policy insights to industrial park managers so that they can raise appropriate strategies on developing eco-industrial parks. Useful strategies include identifying more potential industrial symbiosis opportunities, optimizing energy structure, increasing industrial efficiency, recovering local ecosystems, and improving public and industrial awareness of eco-industrial park policies.     

Co-treatment of acid mine drainage with municipal wastewater: performance evaluation

Co-treatment of acid mine drainage (AMD) with municipal wastewater (MWW) using the activated sludge process is a novel treatment technology offering potential savings over alternative systems in materials, proprietary chemicals and energy inputs. The impacts of AMD on laboratory-scale activated sludge units (plug-flow and sequencing batch reactors) treating synthetic MWW were investigated. Synthetic AMD containing Al, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, Zn and SO₄ at a range of concentrations and pH values was formulated to simulate three possible co-treatment processes, i.e., (1) adding raw AMD to the activated sludge aeration tank, (2) pre-treating AMD prior to adding to the aeration tank by mixing with digested sludge and (3) pre-treating AMD by mixing with screened MWW. Continuous AMD loading to the activated sludge reactors during co-treatment did not cause a significant decrease in chemical oxygen demand (COD), 5-day biochemical oxygen demand, or total organic carbon removal; average COD removal rates ranged from 87–93 %. Enhanced phosphate removal was observed in reactors loaded with Fe- and Al-rich AMD, with final effluent TP concentrations <2 mg/L. Removal rates for dissolved Al, Cu, Fe and Pb were 52–84 %, 47–61 %, 74–86 % and 100 %, respectively, in both systems. Manganese and Zn removal were strongly linked to acidity; removal from net-acidic AMD was <10 % for both metals, whereas removal from circum-neutral AMD averaged 93–95 % for Mn and 58–90 % for Zn. Pre-mixing with screened MWW was the best process option in terms of AMD neutralization and metal removal. However, significant MWW alkalinity was consumed, suggesting an alkali supplement may be necessary.     

Recovery of hydrogen and removal of nitrate from water by electrocoagulation process

The present study provides an optimization of electrocoagulation process for the recovery of hydrogen and removal of nitrate from water. In doing so, the thermodynamic, adsorption isotherm, and kinetic studies were also carried out. Aluminum alloy of size 2 dm² was used as anode and as cathode. To optimize the maximum removal efficiency, different parameters like effect of initial concentration, effect of temperature, pH, and effect of current density were studied. The results show that a significant amount of hydrogen can be generated by this process during the removal of nitrate from water. The energy yield calculated from the hydrogen generated is 3.3778 kWh/m³. The results also showed that the maximum removal efficiency of 95.9 % was achieved at a current density of 0.25 A/dm², at a pH of 7.0. The adsorption process followed second-order kinetics model. The adsorption of NO ₃ ^? preferably fitting the Langmuir adsorption isotherm suggests monolayer coverage of adsorbed molecules. Thermodynamic studies showed that adsorption was exothermic and spontaneous in nature. The energy yield of generated hydrogen was ~54 % of the electrical energy demand of the electrocoagulation process. With the reduction of the net energy demand, electrocoagulation may become a useful technology to treat water associated with power production. The aluminum hydroxide generated in the cell removes the nitrate present in the water and reduced it to a permissible level making the water drinkable.     

Bioelectrochemical anaerobic sewage treatment technology for Arctic communities

This study describes a novel wastewater treatment technology suitable for small remote northern communities. The technology is based on an enhanced biodegradation of organic carbon through a combination of anaerobic methanogenic and microbial electrochemical (bioelectrochemical) degradation processes leading to biomethane production. The microbial electrochemical degradation is achieved in a membraneless flow-through bioanode–biocathode setup operating at an applied voltage below the water electrolysis threshold. Laboratory wastewater treatment tests conducted through a broad range of mesophilic and psychrophilic temperatures (5–23 °C) using synthetic wastewater showed a biochemical oxygen demand (BOD₅) removal efficiency of 90–97% and an effluent BOD₅ concentration as low as 7 mg L^?1. An electricity consumption of 0.6 kWh kg^?1 of chemical oxygen demand (COD) removed was observed. Low energy consumption coupled with enhanced methane production led to a net positive energy balance in the bioelectrochemical treatment system.     

Field application of electrokinetic remediation for multi-metal contaminated paddy soil using two-dimensional electrode configuration

In this study, we evaluated the feasibility of in situ electrokinetic remediation for arsenic (As)-, copper (Cu)-, and lead (Pb)-contaminated soil, in a pilot-scale field application with two-dimensional electrode configurations. Square and hexagonal configurations with different electrode spacing, 1 m and 2?m, were investigated under a constant 100 V. A square configuration with electrode spacing of 2 m removed 61.5 % of As, 11.4 % of Cu, and 0.9 % of Pb, respectively, and a hexagonal configuration with the same spacing showed a higher removal efficiency in top (59 % of As, 0–0.5 m) and middle (53 % of As, 0.5–1.0 m) layers, but much lower removal efficiency in the bottom layer (1–1.5 m), which was thought to be due to groundwater flow through periodic rise and fall of tides. Fractionation analysis showed that As bound to Fe–Mn oxyhydroxide was the main form of As removed by the electrokinetic process. The two-dimensional configuration wasted less electrical energy by Joule heating, and required fewer electrode installations, compared to the one-dimensional electrode configuration.     

Hazardous Waste Minimization: Part VI Waste Minimization in the Foundry Industry

The foundry industry is a major consumer of waste materials (scrap). Unfortunately, the recycling of these waste materials can result in the generation of hazardous wastes that must be properly managed at a significant cost. This article focuses on two waste streams in the foundry industry; calcium carbide desulfurization slag and melt emission control residuals. The author presents an overview of how foundries have evaluated different waste management options with the ultimate goal of minimizing the generation of hazardous waste.     

Investigations on mobility of carbon colloid supported nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) in a column experiment and a laboratory 2D-aquifer test system

Nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) has recently gained great interest in the scientific community as in situ reagent for installation of permeable reactive barriers in aquifer systems, since nZVI is highly reactive with chlorinated compounds and may render them to harmless substances. However, nZVI has a high tendency to agglomerate and sediment; therefore it shows very limited transport ranges. One new approach to overcome the limited transport of nZVI in porous media is using a suited carrier colloid. In this study we tested mobility of a carbon colloid supported nZVI particle “Carbo-Iron Colloids” (CIC) with a mean size of 0.63 μm in a column experiment of 40 cm length and an experiment in a two-dimensional (2D) aquifer test system with dimensions of 110?×?40?×?5 cm. Results show a breakthrough maximum of 82 % of the input concentration in the column experiment and 58 % in the 2D-aquifer test system. Detected residuals in porous media suggest a strong particle deposition in the first centimeters and few depositions in the porous media in the further travel path. Overall, this suggests a high mobility in porous media which might be a significant enhancement compared to bare or polyanionic stabilized nZVI.     

Factors influencing silver recovery and power generation in bio-electrochemical reactors

The recovery of silver from Ag⁺ solution coupled with power generation was investigated in bio-electrochemical system (BES). In this system, chemical energy existing in the organic matter in the anode chamber can be converted biologically to electrical energy which can be used for the reduction of Ag⁺ ions in the cathode chamber. Results showed that type of substrate influenced the metabolic pathway and affected the cell voltage progression, and columbic efficiency. Silver recovery was not affected by increasing initial pH (2.0 to 7.0) and Ag⁺ concentration (100 to 1000 mg/L) in the catholyte, whereas power generation was improved. A maximum power density of 8258 mW/m³ and a columbic efficiency of 21.61% could be achieved with 1000 mg/L of Ag⁺. Ag⁺ ions were reduced to form metallic deposits as Ag⁰ crystals on the cathode surface, which were then confirmed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) image and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectrum. The BES reactor had high silver removal (i.e., >96%) after 24 h of operation. When considering the crossover of Ag⁺ ions through the cation exchange membrane, the removal was in the range of 83.73–92.51%. This crossover was not considerable as compared to the Ag⁺ initial concentration. At higher initial Ag⁺ concentration (2000 mg/L), the silver removal decreased to 88.61% and the maximum power density decreased to 5396 mW/m³. This study clearly showed that BES can be employed for silver recovery, wastewater treatment, and also electricity generation.     

Power generation by high head water in a building using micro hydro turbine—a greener approach

Demand for green energy production is arising all over the world. A lot of emphasis is laid in making the buildings green. Even a small amount of energy savings made contribute to saving the environment. In this study, an idea is proposed and studied to extract power from the high head water in the pipelines of a building. A building of height 15 m is considered for this study. Water flowing in the pipe has sufficient energy to run a micro hydro turbine. The feasibility of producing electrical energy from the energy of pipe water is found. The motivation is to find the feasibility of generating power using a low-cost turbine. The experimental setup consists of micro turbine of 135 mm diameter coupled to a 12-V DC generator; LEDs and resistors are employed to validate the results. The theoretical calculations were presented using the fundamental equations of fluid mechanics. The theoretical results are validated using experimental and numerical results using CFD simulation. In addition, exergy analysis has been carried out to quantify the irreversibilities during the process in the system.     

Applicability of energy-positive net-zero water management in Alaska: technology status and case study

Challenges of water and wastewater management in Alaska include the potential need for above-grade and freeze-protected piping, high unit energy costs and, in many rural areas, low population density and median annual income. However, recently developed net-zero water (NZW), i.e., nearly closed-loop, direct potable water reuse systems, can retain the thermal energy in municipal wastewater, producing warm treated potable water without the need for substantial water re-heating, heat pumping or transfer, or additional energy conversion. Consequently, these systems are projected to be capable of saving more energy than they use in water treatment and conveyance, in the temperate USA. In this paper, NZW technology is reviewed in terms of potential applicability in Alaska by performing a hypothetical case study for the city of Fairbanks, Alaska. Results of this paper study indicate that in municipalities of Alaska with local engineering and road access, the use of NZW systems may provide an energy-efficient water service option. In particular, case study modeling suggests hot water energy savings are equivalent to five times the energy used for treatment, much greater savings than in mid-latitudes, due largely to the substantially higher energy needed for heating water from a conventional treatment system and lack of need for freeze-protected piping. Further study of the applicability of NZW technology in cold regions, with expanded evaluation in terms of system-wide lifecycle cost, is recommended.     

Resource recycling through artificial lightweight aggregates from sewage sludge and derived ash using boric acid flux to lower co-melting temperature

This study focuses on artificial lightweight aggregates (ALWAs) formed from sewage sludge and ash at lowered co-melting temperatures using boric acid as the fluxing agent. The weight percentages of boric acid in the conditioned mixtures of sludge and ash were 13% and 22%, respectively. The ALWA derived from sewage sludge was synthesized under the following conditions: preheating at 400 °C 0.5 hr and a sintering temperature of 850 °C 1 hr. The analytical results of water adsorption, bulk density, apparent porosity, and compressive strength were 3.88%, 1.05 g/cm³, 3.93%, and 29.7 MPa, respectively. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of the ALWA show that the trends in water adsorption and apparent porosity were opposite to those of bulk density. This was due to the inner pores being sealed off by lower-melting-point material at the aggregates' surface. In the case of ash-derived aggregates, water adsorption, bulk density, apparent porosity, and compressive strength were 0.82%, 0.91 g/cm³, 0.82%, and 28.0 MPa, respectively. Both the sludge- and ash-derived aggregates meet the legal standards for ignition loss and soundness in Taiwan for construction or heat insulation materials.

Implications Artificial lightweight aggregates (ALWAs) could be synthesized from sewage sludge and derived ash. In this study, co-melting technology of low temperature was applied with boric acid as a fluxing agent and the formation temperature of glass phase was decreased to 900 °C. Both aggregates derived from sludge and ash meet regulatory standards of ignition loss and soundness in Taiwan for construction or heat insulation material.     

The Autothermal Pyrolysis of Waste Tires

Abstract

The growing amount of rubber waste, such as that from tires and cables, has resulted in serious environmental problems. Since rubber waste is not easily biodegradable even after a long period of landfill treatment, material and energy recovery is the preferable alternative to disposal. The potential offered by waste tire pyrolysis for solving both energy and waste treatment problems is widely recognized. Pyrolysis is one method of inducing thermal decomposition without using any oxidizing agent, or using such a limited supply of the agent that oxidization does not proceed to an appreciable extent. The latter may be described as autothermal pyrolysis and will be studied in the present work.

The main objective of this research was to study the operating parameters of autothermal pyrolysis of scrap tires in a laboratory-scale fluidized bed reactor with a 100-cm bed height (10 cm I.D.) and a 100-cm freeboard (25 cm I.D.). Scrap tires were pyrolyzed in a limited oxygen supply, so that the heat for pyrolysis of the scrap tires was provided by combustion of some portion of the scrap tires. The operating parameters evaluated included the effect on the pyrolysis oil products and their relative proportions of (1) the air factor (O.O7–O35); (2) the pyrolysis temperature (370–570 °C); and (3) the catalyst added (zeolite and calcium carbonate). The results show that: (1) the composition of the liquid hydrocarbon obtained is affected significantly by the air factor; (2) the higher operating temperature caused a higher yield of gasoline and diesel; (3) the yield of gasoline increased due to the catalyst zeolite added, and the yield of diesel increased due to the addition of the catalyst calcium carbonate; (4) the principal constituents of gasoline included dipentene and diprene.     

Occurrence and behaviour of pharmaceutical compounds in a Portuguese wastewater treatment plant: Removal efficiency through conventional treatment processes

Wastewater treatments can eliminate or remove a substantial amount of pharmaceutical active compounds (PhACs), but there may still be significant concentrations of them in effluents discharged into surface water bodies. Beirolas wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) is located in the Lisbon area and makes its effluent discharges into Tagus estuary (Portugal). The main objective of this study is to quantify a group of 32 PhACs in the different treatments used in this WWTP. Twelve sampling campaigns of wastewater belonging to the different treatments were made in 2013–2014 in order to study their removal efficiency. The wastewaters were analysed by solid phase extraction (SPE) and ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass detection (UPLC–MS/MS). The anti-diabetics were the most frequently found in wastewater influent (WWI) and wastewater effluent (WWE) (208 and 1.7 μg/L, respectively), followed by analgesics/antipyretics (135 μg/L and < LOQ, respectively), psychostimulants (113 and 0.49 μg/L, respectively), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (33 and 2.6 μg/L, respectively), antibiotics (5.2 and 1.8 μg/L, respectively), antilipidemics (1.6 and 0.24 μg/L, respectively), anticonvulsants (1.5 and 0.63 μg/L, respectively) and beta blockers (1.3 and 0.51 μg/L, respectively). A snapshot of the ability of each treatment step to remove these target PhACs is provided, and it was found that global efficiency is strongly dependent on the efficiency of secondary treatment. Seasonal occurrence and removal efficiency was also monitored, and they did not show a significant seasonal trend.     

Synergetic effects of Sr-doped CuBi<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> catalyst with enhanced photoactivity under UVA– light irradiation

Sr-doped CuBi₂O₄ micro-particles were successively synthesized via a solid-state technique and were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV–vis-DRS) techniques. Results show that Sr-doped CuBi₂O₄ was crystallized with a spinel-type structure and tetragonal crystal system, and the band gap energy was about 1.35 eV. The as-prepared Sr-doped CuBi₂O₄ treated at 573 °C for 12 h exhibited the highest efficiency, as a result of 97.22 % of CR degradation within 220 min, which is approximately 31 times greater than CR photodegradation when catalyzed by CuBi₂O₄ (3.13 %) and about 2.3 times superior than that catalyzed by the untreated Sr–doped CuBi₂O₄ sample (42.08 %). Pseudo-first-order kinetic model gave the best fit, with highest correlation coefficients (R ²?=?0.94–0.97). The Sr–doping and extending reaction time up to 12 h could be effective in producing Sr-doped CuBi₂O₄ materials that delay electron–hole recombination, thereby increasing the lifetime of the electron electron–hole separation and support the charge carrier transfer to the catalyst surface. On the basis of the calculated energy band positions, superoxide radical anions (O₂ ^?–) were the main oxidative species responsible for the photocatalytic degradation of CR dye solution.     

Biosorption and biodegradation of Acid Orange 7 by Enterococcus faecalis strain ZL: optimization by response surface methodological approach

Reactive dyes account for one of the major sources of dye wastes in textile effluent. In this study, decolorization of the monoazo dye, Acid Orange 7 (AO7) by the Enterococcus faecalis strain ZL that isolated from a palm oil mill effluent treatment plant has been investigated. Decolorization efficiency of azo dye is greatly affected by the types of nutrients and the size of inoculum used. In this work, one-factor-at-a-time (method and response surface methodology (RSM) was applied to optimize these operational factors and also to study the combined interaction between them. Analysis of AO7 decolorization was done using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, desorption study, UV–Vis spectral analysis, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The optimum condition via RSM for the color removal of AO7 was found to be as follows: yeast extract, 0.1 %?w/v, glycerol concentration of 0.1 %?v/v, and inoculum density of 2.5 %?v/v at initial dye concentration of 100 mg/L at 37 °C. Decolorization efficiency of 98 % was achieved in only 5 h. The kinetic of AO7 decolorization was found to be first order with respect to dye concentration with a k value of 0.87/h. FTIR, desorption study, UV–Vis spectral analysis, FESEM, and HPLC findings indicated that the decolorization of AO7 was mainly due to the biosorption as well as biodegradation of the bacterial cells. In addition, HPLC analyses also showed the formation of sulfanilic acid as a possible degradation product of AO7 under facultative anaerobic condition. This study explored the ability of E. faecalis strain ZL in decolorizing AO7 by biosorption as well as biodegradation process.     

Does static electric field from ultra-high voltage direct-current transmission lines affect male reproductive capacity? Evidence from a laboratory study on male mice

With the development of ultra-high-voltage direct-current (UHVDC) transmission technology and increase in transmission voltage, the issue of environmental static electric field (SEF) pollution is standing out and its possible health effects have caused much public attention. In this study, the effects of chronic exposure to SEF on reproductive capacity of male mice were investigated. Twenty Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) mice were exposed to SEF (56.3 ± 1.4 kV/m, 49 days) generated by a high-voltage device. Several biological end points related to spermatogenesis and testicular function were evaluated, including reproductive organ coefficients, sperm motility and morphology, serum testosterone level, and testicular histology. No significant differences were found between the SEF-exposed and sham-exposed groups at the end of the exposure period. However, further observation through transmission electron microscopy revealed cristae losses in mitochondria of spermatogenic cells after SEF exposure. Nevertheless, the mitochondria injury did not affect sperm motility, which might be explained from the perspective of energy supply. That is, most of the energy required for sperm movement is generated by glycolysis which occurs in the cytoplasm rather than oxidative phosphorylation which occurs in mitochondria. In conclusion, this study indicates that exposure to SEF (56.3 ± 1.4 kV/m, 49 days) has limited effects on male reproductive capacity.     

Enhanced deodorization and sludge reduction in situ by a humus soil cooperated anaerobic/anoxic/oxic (A2O) wastewater treatment system

Simultaneous sludge reduction and malodor abatement in humus soil cooperated an anaerobic/anoxic/oxic (A2O) wastewater treatment were investigated in this study. The HSR-A2O was composed of a humus soil reactor (HSR) and a conventional A2O (designated as C-A2O).The results showed that adding HSR did not deteriorate the chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal, while total phosphorus (TP) removal efficiency in HSR-A2O was improved by 18 % in comparison with that in the C-A2O. Both processes had good performance on total nitrogen (TN) removal, and there was no significant difference between them (76.8 and 77.1 %, respectively). However, NH₄ ⁺–N and NO₃ ^?–N were reduced to 0.3 and 6.7 mg/L in HSR-A2O compared to 1.5 and 4.5 mg/L. Moreover, adding HSR induced the sludge reduction, and the sludge production rate was lower than that in the C-A2O. The observed sludge yield was estimated to be 0.32 kg MLSS/day in HSR-A2O, which represent a 33.5 % reduction compared to a C-A2O process. Activated sludge underwent humification and produced more humic acid in HSR-A2O, which is beneficial to sludge reduction. Odor abatement was achieved in HSR-A2O, ammonium (NH₃), and sulfuretted hydrogen (H₂S) emission decreased from 1.34 and 1.33 to 0.06 mg/m³, 0.025 mg/m³ in anaerobic area, with the corresponding reduction efficiency of 95.5 and 98.1 %. Microbial community analysis revealed that the relevant microorganism enrichment explained the reduction effect of humus soil on NH₃ and H₂S emission. The whole study demonstrated that humus soil enhanced odor abatement and sludge reduction in situ.     

Effects of sludge recirculation rate and mixing time on performance of a prototype single-stage anaerobic digester for conversion of food wastes to biogas and energy recovery

Food wastes have been recognized as the largest waste stream and accounts for 39.25 % of total municipal solid waste in Thailand. Chulalongkorn University has participated in the program of in situ energy recovery from food wastes under the Ministry of Energy (MOE), Thailand. This research aims to develop a prototype single-stage anaerobic digestion system for biogas production and energy recovery from food wastes inside Chulalongkorn University. Here, the effects of sludge recirculation rate and mixing time were investigated as the main key parameters for the system design and operation. From the results obtained in this study, it was found that the sludge recirculation rate of 100 % and the mixing time of 60 min per day were the most suitable design parameters to achieve high efficiencies in terms of chemical oxygen demand (COD), total solids (TS), and total volatile solid (TVS) removal and also biogas production by this prototype anaerobic digester. The obtained biogas production was found to be 0.71 m³/kg COD and the composition of methane was 61.6 %. Moreover, the efficiencies of COD removal were as high as 82.9 % and TVS removal could reach 83.9 % at the optimal condition. Therefore, the developed prototype single-stage anaerobic digester can be highly promising for university canteen application to recover energy from food wastes via biogas production.     

蓄热式高温空气制备特性研究

在自行研制的蓄热式高温带压蒸气发生器上开展了高温空气制备实验。主要对不同换向周期及一个换向周期内工况条件下的高温空气的生产特性进行了研究,相应地,对不同换向周期条件下的高温带压蒸汽发生器的热回收效率进行了计算。结果表明:以空气为介质时30 s的换向周期为最佳换向周期。随着换向周期的增大,热回收效率快速降低。在一个切换周期内,随着换热时间的延长,空气预热温度逐渐降低,排烟温度总体较低,蓄热体对烟气热量的吸收效果良好。     

Elimination of radiocontrast agent diatrizoic acid by photo-Fenton process and enhanced treatment by coupling with electro-Fenton process

The removal of radiocontrast agent diatrizoic acid (DIA) from water was performed using photo-Fenton (PF) process. First, the effect of H₂O₂ dosage on mineralization efficiency was determined using ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. The system reached a maximum mineralization degree of 60 % total organic carbon (TOC) removal at 4 h with 20 mM initial H₂O₂ concentration while further concentration values led to a decrease in TOC abatement efficiency. Then, the effect of different concentrations of Fenton’s reagents was studied for homogeneous Fenton process. Obtained results revealed that 0.25 mM Fe³⁺ and 20 mM H₂O₂ were the best conditions, achieving 80 % TOC removal efficiency at 4 h treatment. Furthermore, heterogeneous PF treatment was developed using iron-activated carbon as catalyst. It was demonstrated that this catalyst is a promising option, reaching 67 % of TOC removal within 4 h treatment without formation of iron leachate in the medium. In addition, two strategies of enhancement for process efficiency are proposed: coupling of PF with electro-Fenton (EF) process in two ways: photoelectro-Fenton (PEF) or PF followed by EF (PF-EF) treatments, achieving in both cases the complete mineralization of DIA solution within only 2 h. Finally, the Microtox tests revealed the formation of more toxic compounds than the initial DIA during PF process, while, it was possible to reach total mineralization by both proposed alternatives (PEF or PF-EF) and thus to remove the toxicity of DIA solution.