Steel Scale Waste as a Heterogeneous Fenton-like Catalyst for the Treatment of Landfill Leachate

Sustainable industrial processes are essential for better economic growths and for the conservation of the environment. Steel scale waste (SSW) is a byproduct of steel production containing oxides in a large quantity; presently, it is mainly disposed off to landfill. However, being a rich iron source, it appears attractive for processes based on Fenton technology that is catalyzed by iron species. This study originates from the idea of exploiting waste (steel waste) to be used in the treatment of liquid waste, in the perspective of more sustainable processes within a circular economy. Herein, we have employed steel scale waste as a heterogeneous Fenton-like catalyst for the treatment of landfill leachate, changing its profile from a waste to a reagent. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first attempt to utilize steel scale for the treatment of landfill leachate. At mild conditions, SSW successfully removed about 75% of the recalcitrant organic loading from landfill leachate. This study highlighted that SSW is a promising material for the treatment of heavily polluted wastewater streams. These findings appear extremely important in a circular economy perspective because steel scale waste is produced in huge quantities and could be effectively used as a catalyst in a highly polluted liquid waste treatment process.