Remediation of Nodularin-R via Electrochemical Removal Using Nanostructured PdO-TiO2@Carbon Anodes

Nodularin is a cyanotoxin commonly produced by cyanobacteria in algal blooms. Among Nodularin variants, the most common is Nodularin-R (NOD-R). This toxin is widely detected in water sources worldwide, being the cause of severe health issues leading to death of animals and humans. Water decontamination from this toxin is of vital importance. Electrocatalytic oxidation of pollutants in water emerged as a promising alternative for the removal of such a toxin. Regarding electrocatalytic oxidation, the low cost of carbon materials, the electrocatalytic properties of metal oxides, and the high surface area of nanostructured systems lead together to highly efficient and viable anodes. The aim of this work is to evaluate graphite carbon cylinder based anodes modified with TiO2 (TiO2@carbon) or PdO and TiO2 (PdO-TiO2@carbon) on the electrocatalytic removal of NOD-R aqueous solutions as well as on the ecotoxicity of the resulting treated solutions. A complete removal of NOD-R could be achieved in 20 min with PdO-TiO2@carbon anode in aqueous medium with 10 mmol L-1 NaCl. No acute toxicity was also observed for Artemia salina exposed to this treated solution for 48 h. © 2018 American Chemical Society.