Rapid and efficient degradation of organic contaminants using a microplasma electrochemistry method

It is necessary to develop methods for rapid degradation of untreated waterborne contaminants due to their serious impact on the environment and human health. Here, we proposed a rapid and efficient microplasma electrochemistry (MIPEC) method for organic dye and antibiotic degradation. The atmospheric-pressure plasma acted as the anode and it could generate reactive radicals for rapid and complete degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) in about 6 min, which is one of the fastest methods to our knowledge. Similarly, the degradation of ciprofloxacin (CIP) has also been achieved. This method with mild and convenient operation conditions could be applied in a wide pH range due to the unique properties of the plasma anode, unrestricted by the pH of wastewater. The mechanism study revealed that more reactive species could be generated at the plasma anode than at the cathode, leading to a faster reaction rate at the anode side and the presence of oxygen could also accelerate the generation of reactive species. Besides, the MIPEC method can be used to treat a variety of dyes separately and together in minutes in different water bodies, making it a universal method suitable for treating different dyes in wastewater. This work provides a rapid and efficient method for waterborne contaminant degradation without any secondary pollution and need for post treatment, and also broadens the application field of the MIPEC method.