Photo-Fenton and Ultrasound Processes

This chapter examines the potential of advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) to treat landfill leachate, one of the most complicated and resistant effluents. This work focuses on the application of Fenton, photo-Fenton, and sono-photo-Fenton processes to degrade persistent organic pollutants. The real-world effectiveness of these technologies is demonstrated by three case studies from Fez City, Morocco: (i) photo-Fenton process achieved up to 84% chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal by optimizing hydrogen peroxide dosage and Fe 2+ concentration; (ii) sequential combination of Fenton-like (FL) treatment (72% COD removal) with adsorption onto Moroccan bentonite clay to reach a total efficiency of 85%; and (iii) sono-photo-Fenton process achieved remarkable results, including 93% COD removal, 77% UV 254 reduction, and 98% color removal, with reduced phytotoxicity confirmed through bioindicator tests. The chapter additionally investigates how digital innovations like artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things, and smart control systems, as well as contemporary monitoring instruments like biosensors and electrochemical sensors, can improve treatment efficacy and process dependability. Although these solutions show promise for widespread implementation, they must overcome limitations related to cost and life cycle analysis. In the end, this study emphasizes how important creative, hybrid, and data-driven methods are to the advancement of sustainable leachate treatment.