An innovative combination of electrochemical and photocatalytic processes for decontamination of bisphenol A endocrine disruptor form aquatic phase: Insight into mechanism, enhancers and bio-toxicity assay

In the present study, an innovative combination of electrochemical and photocatalytic processes with significant synergy was considered to destroy bisphenol A (BPA) as model endocrine disrupting compound. For this purpose, in situ electro-generated ZnO nanoparticles due to the corrosion of sacrificial Zn anode played the photocatalyst role under visible light irradiation. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Brunnaer–Emmett–Teller (BET), photoluminescence (PL) and UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS) results exhibited the formation of ultrafine crystalline ZnO nanoparticles with appropriate optical properties. A higher synergy factor was obtained by the combination of aforementioned electrochemical and photocatalytic processes relying on the electro-generated ZnO nanoparticles in BPA-contained solution. In the presence of chemical enhancing compounds such as solid hydrogen peroxide and Oxone, the degradation of BPA increased from 84 to 90.5 and 97.5% within 2 h, respectively. The complete elimination of BPA was attained during the elapsed time of 90 min when ultrasound was applied. The results of bio-toxicity assay, based on the application of biosolids as the source of living microorganisms, revealed that the hybrid process could decrease the specific oxygen consumption inhibition (I_SOUR) of the BPA from 31.3 to 18.8%.