Basic Notions and Innovations in Electrochemical Advanced Oxidation Processes for Water Treatment
Abstract
Natural water bodies are increasingly contaminated by synthetic organic compounds from industrial, agricultural, and domestic sources. Many of these compounds, for instance, pharmaceuticals, dyes, and pesticides, are chemically stable and cannot be efficiently eliminated by the classical wastewater treatment technologies, resulting in their persistence in surface and groundwater. Therefore, innovative strategies are required. Here, we reviewed electrochemical methods, such as anodic oxidation, electro-Fenton, photo-assisted catalysis, and electrochemical activation of persulfate and peroxymonosulfate, to remove recalcitrant organic pollutants from contaminated water. These methods generate reactive species that break down persistent contaminants. As the performance of these methods is affected by operational parameters, such as the type of electrode material, the applied current and the chemical composition of the solution, a fine-tuning of these parameters can enhance the removal efficiency of pollutant from water. We also discuss the contribution of computational modeling methods to obtain mechanistic insights that are crucial for developing and optimizing electrochemical water treatment technologies.
| IntroductionPopulation growth, climate change, and industrialization explain the current high demands for water. On the other hand, water pollution, particularly by emerging contaminants, aggravates this problem [1]. As emerging, persistent contaminants are difficult to remove using traditional wastewater treatment methods, more effective and sustainable approaches are urgently required [2-7].
In this context, electrochemical advanced oxidation processes represent an interesting alternative because they generate highly reactive oxygen species, particularly hydroxyl radicals ( • OH), that break down recalcitrant pollutants into nontoxic byproducts. Moreover, these processes are cost-effective, can be integrated in existing water treatment systems with minimal chemical inputs, and their performance can be optimized by acting on different operational parameters [8-13]. However, the high cost of electrodes and the integration of renewable energy sources are two of
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BibTeX
@article{tanos2026basic,
title = {{Basic Notions and Innovations in Electrochemical Advanced Oxidation Processes for Water Treatment}},
author = {Fida Tanos and Chaimaa Gomri and Clément Trellu and Mehmet A Oturan and Shuaishuai Li and Minghua Zhou and Kehinde D Jayeola and Omotayo A Arotiba and Elisama Vieira Dos Santos and Carlos A Martínez‐huitle and Mikhael Bechelany and Marc Cretin},
journal = {Small Science},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1002/smsc.70332},
url = {https://hal.umontpellier.fr/hal-05797869v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Basic Notions and Innovations in Electrochemical Advanced Oxidation Processes for Water Treatment
AU - Fida Tanos
AU - Chaimaa Gomri
AU - Clément Trellu
AU - Mehmet A Oturan
AU - Shuaishuai Li
AU - Minghua Zhou
AU - Kehinde D Jayeola
AU - Omotayo A Arotiba
AU - Elisama Vieira Dos Santos
AU - Carlos A Martínez‐huitle
AU - Mikhael Bechelany
AU - Marc Cretin
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/13
JO - Small Science
DO - 10.1002/smsc.70332
UR - https://hal.umontpellier.fr/hal-05797869v1
AB - Natural water bodies are increasingly contaminated by synthetic organic compounds from industrial, agricultural, and domestic sources. Many of these compounds, for instance, pharmaceuticals, dyes, and pesticides, are chemically stable and cannot be efficiently eliminated by the classical wastewater treatment technologies, resulting in their persistence in surface and groundwater. Therefore, innovative strategies are required. Here, we reviewed electrochemical methods, such as anodic oxidation, electro-Fenton, photo-assisted catalysis, and electrochemical activation of persulfate and peroxymonosulfate, to remove recalcitrant organic pollutants from contaminated water. These methods generate reactive species that break down persistent contaminants. As the performance of these methods is affected by operational parameters, such as the type of electrode material, the applied current and the chemical composition of the solution, a fine-tuning of these parameters can enhance the removal efficiency of pollutant from water. We also discuss the contribution of computational modeling methods to obtain mechanistic insights that are crucial for developing and optimizing electrochemical water treatment technologies. | IntroductionPopulation growth, climate change, and industrialization explain the current high demands for water. On the other hand, water pollution, particularly by emerging contaminants, aggravates this problem [1]. As emerging, persistent contaminants are difficult to remove using traditional wastewater treatment methods, more effective and sustainable approaches are urgently required [2-7]. In this context, electrochemical advanced oxidation processes represent an interesting alternative because they generate highly reactive oxygen species, particularly hydroxyl radicals ( • OH), that break down recalcitrant pollutants into nontoxic byproducts. Moreover, these processes are cost-effective, can be integrated in existing water treatment systems with minimal chemical inputs, and their performance can be optimized by acting on different operational parameters [8-13]. However, the high cost of electrodes and the integration of renewable energy sources are two of
SN - 2688-4046
ER -