Electrochemical degradation of bisphenol A on different anodes

Laboratory experiments were carried out on the kinetics, pathways and mechanisms of electrochemical (EC) degradation of bisphenol A (BPA) on four types of anodes, Ti/boron-doped diamond (BDD), Ti/Sb-SnO₂, Ti/RuO₂ and Pt. There were considerable differences among the anodes in their effectiveness and performance of BPA electrolysis. BPA was readily destructed at the Ti/Sb-SnO₂ and Ti/BDD anodes, the Pt anode had a moderate ability to remove BPA, and the Ti/RuO₂ anode was incapable of effectively oxidising BPA. The intermediate products of EC degradation of BPA were detected and quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and a general BPA degradation pathway was proposed based on the analytical results. It was suggested that OH radicals produced by water electrolysis attacked BPA to form hydroxylated BPA derivatives that were then transformed into one-ring aromatic compounds. These compounds underwent ring breakage, which led to the formation of aliphatic acids that were eventually mineralised by electrolysis to CO₂. Compared to the Pt and Ti/RuO₂ anodes, the Ti/Sb-SnO₂ and Ti/BDD anodes were found to have higher oxygen evolution potentials and higher anodic potentials for BPA electrolysis under the same current condition. However, the stability and durability of the Ti/Sb-SnO₂ anode still needs to be greatly improved for actual application. In comparison, with its high durability and good reactivity for organic oxidation, the Ti/BDD anode appears to be the more promising one for the effective EC treatment of BPA and similar endocrine disrupting chemical (EDC) pollutants.