Bio-electro-Fenton (BEF) system is an emerging advanced oxidation process, which can not only generate electricity and degrade organic substrates via bio-oxidation on the anode, but also remove bio-refractory pollutants via Fenton’s reaction on the cathode. The bio-electro-Fenton system was applied to the removal of trace estrogens, and both the removal efficiency and the optimization of performance were investigated in the bioelectro-chemical system equipped with the Fe@Fe2O3/non-catalyzed carbon felt (NCF) degradation mechanism, including external resistance, the cathode iron content, aeration rate and catholyte pH. It was found that chemical oxidation was the main pathway for E2 removal, and external resistance was the most significant factor influencing E2 removal rate, and the E2 removal was maximized when the external resistance was close to the internal one. The systems with Fe@Fe2O3/NCF cathode showed a high E2 removal performance under the optimized conditions, mostly over 90%.
