A Review on Electrooxidation Treatment of Leachate: Strategies, New Developments, and Prospective Growth

Improper disposal of landfill leachate, a highly polluted wastewater, can harm living beings and the ecosystem. Of all the treatment technologies available, electrochemical techniques have the most advantages in terms of ease of use, affordability, and the ability to degrade various contaminants found in landfill leachate effectively. Though there are a sufficient number of research articles regarding the electrochemical treatment of leachate, it has many research gaps, such as a study on the mechanism of radicle generation, pollutant degradation, study on different electrodes with various pollutants concentrations, application of green catalysts, byproduct formation assessment, energy recovery, etc. This review article explores the applications of electrooxidation techniques for the treatment of landfill leachate. Key aspects discussed include the (i) fundamental concepts in electrochemical treatment and its mechanism, (ii) factors affecting the electrochemical treatment efficiency, (iii) the applicability of leachate treatment with different electrochemical methods, (iv) recent advances, (v) merits, and demerits and (vi) proposal of future scope and the studies needed. The integration of electrooxidation with other treatment processes and the challenges hindering widespread adoption are also addressed. Overall, electrooxidation demonstrates promise as an effective and sustainable method for managing landfill leachate. Consequently, this article directs chacurrent and future research efforts toward optimizing the leachate treatment through electrooxidation techniques.