Photoelectrochemical Water Treatment
of Sewage
Priya Chandulal Vithalani and Nikhil Sumantray Bhatt
Abstract Emerging industrial and human activities are depleting water and other
environmental resources due to the massive production of synthetic complexes.
Compounds present in sewage are resistant to degradation and have various toxico-
logical properties, which generate various environmental issues. Many conventional
methods based on physical, chemical and biological principles are applied to treat
sewage. Currently, a combination of different conventional methods is in practice for
effective treatment. The photoelectrochemical technique is a combination of light and
electrical energy used in the treatment of sewage. In this technique, different types of
metals and semiconductor types of photocatalyst are utilized to treat sewage due to
its stability, efficiency and remediation performance. In the modified photocatalytic
reactor, solar or artificial energy is applied for the oxidation of hazardous compounds
which generate hydrogen. The modified photocatalyst has been employed in recent
times for efficient treatment and refining hydrogen production. Recently, diverse
photocatalytic reactors are designed for a large-scale treatment perspective. Photo-
electrochemical reactors have an eco-friendly approach and are less harmful to the
environment. Thus, recently researchers are focusing more on this technique from a
treatment perspective.
Keywords Hydrogen production · Photocatalyst · Photocatalytic reactor ·
Photoelectrochemical technique · Sewage treatment · Synthetic complexes
1 Introduction
Water is an essential source for every lifeform on earth so, the removal of pollutants
from water is a major concern. Generation of wastewater is estimated at 22,900
million litres per day (MLD) domestic wastewater and 13,500 MLD industrial
wastewater in an urban area. Around 26% of wastewater is treated before discharge,
and the rest is deposited as untreated. The sewage waste has two types: domestic,
P. C. Vithalani · N. S. Bhatt (B )
Department of Biogas Research and Microbiology, Gujarat Vidyapith, Sadra, Gandhinagar,
Gujarat, India
e-mail: bhatt@gujaratvidyapith.org
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022
T. Karchiyappan et al. (eds.), Industrial Wastewater Treatment, Water Science
and Technology Library 106, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-98202-7_16
399