Performance optimization and mechanism of HMX degradation by Fe-C micro-electrolysis

The Fe-C micro-electrolysis system was used to study the degradation of energetic material (HMX) in simulated wastewater. The effects of initial pH, different Fe dosage and Fe/C mass ratio on the degradation were studied. The optimal degradation condition was selected to study the toxicity mechanism of HMX by gene toxicology methods. The results showed that the Fe-C micro-electrolysis had the best treatment efficiency for the pollutants with the removal rate of 97.8% when the initial pH was 4, the Fe dosage was 70g/L and the Fe/C mass ratio was 1:1. The kinetic results showed that the Fe-C micro-electrolysis process of HMX follows pseudo-first-order kinetics. HMX was mainly removed by hydroxides of Fe ²⁺ and Fe ³⁺ by adsorption co-precipitation, etc., and degraded by the reduction of Fe ⁰ , Fe ²⁺ , and [H] generated by the microelectrolysis process. Toxicogenomics analysis indicated that DNA damage and oxidative stress were the major stress categories in degrading HMX wastewater. The TELI _total value showed a first increasing and then decreasing tendency, with no significant fluctuation during the degradation process. Our study provides new insights into performance optimization, degradation pathways, and molecular toxicity evolution during Fe-C micro-electrolysis of HMX.