Electrochemical Post-Treatment of Constructed Wetland Effluent for Enhanced Ketoprofen Removal and Toxicity Reduction
Abstract
Abstract Emerging contaminants such as pharmaceuticals are poorly removed by conventional sewage treatment plants, posing risks to ecosystems and human health. Ketoprofen (KET), a widely used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug frequently detected in wastewater, was selected as a target contaminant. This study evaluated its removal from real sewage treatment plant effluent using an integrated system that combines a vertical flow constructed wetland (CW), a nature-based solution relying on biological and physical processes, with electrochemical advanced oxidation processes, namely electro-Fenton (EF) and photoelectro-Fenton (PEF). Both combinations, CW + EF and CW + PEF, achieved KET removal above 99.0%, with CW + PEF reaching 99.3% degradation and 45.0% mineralization, while also improving effluent quality (COD, BOD, and turbidity reductions of 86.6%, 93.5%, and 95.2%, respectively). Acute toxicity to Danio rerio embryos was reduced by 87.6% under CW + PEF, reclassifying the effluent from acutely to mildly toxic, while toxicity to Artemia sp. was eliminated and no phytotoxic effects were observed on Lactuca sativa (germination index > 80.0%) across all treatments. A comparative operational cost analysis further showed that CW + PEF offers the best balance between treatment performance and operating costs (77.49 USD m − 3 , versus 81.24 USD m − 3 for CW + EF), with markedly lower energy consumption per gram of TOC removed (10.7 vs. 33.6 kWh g − 1 TOC). Overall, the results…
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