prototypes for environmental remediation. One of the advanced integrated oxidation
based microbial fuel cell system is the bioelectro-Fenton system where Fenton
reaction is carried out for the degradation of pollutants through OH radical formation
with the simultaneous formation of electrons.
Keywords Water purification · Adsorption · Oxidation
5.1 Introduction
In the current scenario, the two major problems that need to be concerned are
scarcity of clean water and renewable source of energy. Out of the total water
content in the earth, 97% is composed of saltwater and the freshwater availability
is less than 1% (Brillas et al. 2009). Despite this limited availability, most of the
water bodies are polluted with organic wastes from industries, and the predominant
among them are dyes, toxic metals, oil effluents etc. that exist in dissolved form and
make it inappropriate for common use. The outstanding techniques for addressing
these issues are adsorption and oxidation based integrated systems which degrade
the organic pollutants and in some cases with the simultaneous generation of
electrons as in the case of a microbial fuel cell (Cha et al. 2010). The general
approaches for the removal of contaminants are through the direct removal of
organic debris by physicochemical method (like adsorption based on п- п* stacking,
H-bonding and electrostatic interactions) or through the conversion of organic
pollutants to eco-friendly products (Sharma and Das 2013; Zhao et al. 2017). In
this chapter, we highlight the priority water pollutants, available adsorption and
oxidation based remedies for water purification and the integrated systems for the
simultaneous production of electrical energy during pollutant removal.
5.2 Priority Pollutants in Water
The contamination of both surface and underground water resources is a problem
with very broad connotations, as it not only poses a risk to the environment but also
represents a danger to public health and the economic growth of a region and its
surroundings. The origin of the pollutants that affect the water is very varied;
however, they can be classified into two large groups: those of natural origin that
are related to biogeochemical cycles, food chain, geological phenomena and the
same water dynamism (Li et al. 2017); and on the other hand, those of anthropogenic
origin, caused by the various products and service activities (Palma et al. 2010). The
impact of pollutants of anthropogenic origin is much more significant than those of
natural origin. Within the pollutants of anthropogenic origin, we find two different
types of sources: direct or indirect sources. Direct sources are those that discharge
pollutants in the form of effluents, such as industries, homes and treatment plants. On
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based microbial fuel cell system is the bioelectro-Fenton system where Fenton
reaction is carried out for the degradation of pollutants through OH radical formation
with the simultaneous formation of electrons.
Keywords Water purification · Adsorption · Oxidation
5.1 Introduction
In the current scenario, the two major problems that need to be concerned are
scarcity of clean water and renewable source of energy. Out of the total water
content in the earth, 97% is composed of saltwater and the freshwater availability
is less than 1% (Brillas et al. 2009). Despite this limited availability, most of the
water bodies are polluted with organic wastes from industries, and the predominant
among them are dyes, toxic metals, oil effluents etc. that exist in dissolved form and
make it inappropriate for common use. The outstanding techniques for addressing
these issues are adsorption and oxidation based integrated systems which degrade
the organic pollutants and in some cases with the simultaneous generation of
electrons as in the case of a microbial fuel cell (Cha et al. 2010). The general
approaches for the removal of contaminants are through the direct removal of
organic debris by physicochemical method (like adsorption based on п- п* stacking,
H-bonding and electrostatic interactions) or through the conversion of organic
pollutants to eco-friendly products (Sharma and Das 2013; Zhao et al. 2017). In
this chapter, we highlight the priority water pollutants, available adsorption and
oxidation based remedies for water purification and the integrated systems for the
simultaneous production of electrical energy during pollutant removal.
5.2 Priority Pollutants in Water
The contamination of both surface and underground water resources is a problem
with very broad connotations, as it not only poses a risk to the environment but also
represents a danger to public health and the economic growth of a region and its
surroundings. The origin of the pollutants that affect the water is very varied;
however, they can be classified into two large groups: those of natural origin that
are related to biogeochemical cycles, food chain, geological phenomena and the
same water dynamism (Li et al. 2017); and on the other hand, those of anthropogenic
origin, caused by the various products and service activities (Palma et al. 2010). The
impact of pollutants of anthropogenic origin is much more significant than those of
natural origin. Within the pollutants of anthropogenic origin, we find two different
types of sources: direct or indirect sources. Direct sources are those that discharge
pollutants in the form of effluents, such as industries, homes and treatment plants. On
118
S. M. Sathianesan Vimala et al.