Paracetamol Removal from Aqueous Media Through Fenton Reaction Using ZSM-5 Zeolite Produced from Fly-Ash

The purpose of this study is the exploration of the catalytic performance of ZSM-5 zeolite produced from iron rich fly-ash without further addition of iron sites, in the removal of paracetamol through heterogenous Fenton reaction. The structural and textural characterization by powder X-ray diffraction and N2 adsorption isotherms showed that pure ZSM-5 phase was synthesized, but lower crystallinity and textural parameters were obtained when confronting with commercial ZSM-5. The XPS analysis revealed the presence of significant amounts of iron as well as yttrium, which increased the electronic properties of the samples surface, when compared with iron impregnated commercial ZSM-5. The catalytic reaction was followed through UV-spectroscopy and kinetic models were applied to the data, with the best fit obtained for pseudo-first-order model. All fly ash-based zeolites present enhanced paracetamol removal when compared with commercial iron loaded ZSM-5 which may be attributed to the more disorganized structure, able to accommodate large paracetamol species (dimers). On the other hand, the effect of yttrium on the electronic properties of iron sites may increase the formation of ●OH radicals, thus increasing the removal rate of paracetamol.