Solar photo-Fenton oxidation of mature landfill leachate: empirical model and chemical inferences

In this study, a stochastic model was applied to investigate the degradation of landfill leachate by solar photo-Fenton processes. The coefficient of determination (R (2)) between experimental and predicted data ranged from 0.9958-0.9995. The optimal conditions for the initial phase (lasting 5-22 min) were high Fe2+ level, low pH level, and intermediate H2O2 level. For the second phase, optimal leachate degradation percentages were obtained by maintaining the pH, increasing H2O2, and decreasing Fe2+ to the lowest level. Determination of optimal reaction conditions (such as pH, Fe2+, and H2O2 values) for both degradation phases is of paramount importance for process scale-up. The major contribution of this study was the development of a tool that considers the effects of one or more reactions on organic carbon degradation. This was achieved by assessing the significance of the effects of experimental conditions on model parameters for the fast and slow steps of leachate degradation by advanced oxidation processes.