Electrochemical Oxidation Approach towards the Treatment of Acetamiprid Pesticide from Polluted Water

Introduction: Acetamiprid (AP) is one of the most widely used pesticides in the neonicotinoid class. AP residues in the environment have received considerable due to their potential toxicity to humans. Therefore, it is important to remove AP from the aqueous solution. Materials and Methods: In the current study, response surface methodology (RSM) was used as an efficient approach to optimize the removal of AP using the electro-Fenton (EF) process. The effects of the main variables, including reaction time, AP concentration, current density, and H2O2 dosage were investigated and optimized. ANOVA technique was also used to identify the Fisher’s value (F-value) and P-value of the model. Results: The predicted AP removal efficiency by the model was in good agreement with the obtained experimental results with correlation regression of 0.98. The ANOVA test proved that the developed quadratic model was significant with very low P-values less than 0.05, the high F-value of 240.1, and regression coefficients close to 1 at a 95% confidence level. The optimum condition for AP removal efficiency of 99.02% was attained at the reaction time of 12 min, AP concentration of 3.5 mg L-1, the current density of 12 mA cm-2, and H2O2 dosage of 86 µL. Conclusion: RSM was employed as a suitable method to optimize the operating condition and maximize the AP removal. Herein, the EF process as an eco-friendly electrochemical advanced oxidation process (EAOP) successfully applied to remove AP from the water and wastewater.