Paul A Engelberg
This review charts recent progress in the development of electrochemical methods for treating and, in many cases, recycling harmful chemicals. The viability of such methods for sterilization, disinfection, deodorization and similar microbiological applications is also considered. Environmental applications of electrochemistry have been the topic of several recent books and reviews. Specific commercial processes and systems are not discussed; the interested reader may find such material elsewhere and in patent literature. Similarly, radioactive materials warrant special techniques for their handling and disposal, and are not discussed here. The literature cited is representative rather than comprehensive. Economic aspects, while undoubtedly important, are beyond the scope of this article. A second area where electrochemistry is playing an increasingly key role is in sensor technology. Electrochemical sensors for environmental applications have been reviewed by previous authors. Accordingly, only selected examples of, and approaches to, trace level detection of microorganisms and air, water, and soil-borne pollutants are given below. In both the instances involving treatment (or recycling) and sensing, we have adopted a (generic) concept-driven format for the review; caseby-case description of past and present work on the myriad of pollutant chemicals and microorganisms would have been prohibitive. Finally, future opportunities and emerging materials in electrochemical environmental science and technology are discussed. A companion review will treat the applicability of photoelectrochemical methods for pollutant sensing and treatment.
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