Abstract: Aiming at the problem that the operating pH range of  the conventional Fenton technique was relatively narrow，   increasing  pH  value significantly reduced the removal rate of tetracycline and led to secondary contaminztion,  Fe₃O₄@CF composite electrode was synthesized by loading Fe₃O₄ onto the surface of carbon felt (CF) electrode by using a solvent thermal synthesis method. The materials were characterised by scanning electron microscopy (SEM),  X-ray diffraction (XRD),  X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS),  Fourier transform infrared absorption spectroscopy (FTIR) and electrochemical impedance (EIS).  We investigated the degradation performance and mechanism of  tetracycline using it as electrode in a non-homogeneous electrically assisted Fenton (EF) system, and conducted cyclic experiments.  The results show that the Fe₃O₄ electrode exhibits the best degradation performance of tetracycline in a non-homogeneous electrically assisted Fenton system.  After 90 min at room temperature,  the initial mass   concentration of tetracycline is 20 mg/L,  an initial pH=3,  a distance between the two electrodes is 2 cm, and an applied current is 50 mA,  the removal rate of tetracycline by Fe₃O₄@CF electrode in the non-homogeneous electro-Fenton system can reach 96.7%. In addition,   the Fe₃O₄@CF electrode has good reusability. In the degradation of tetracycline in the non-homogeneous electro-Fenton system,  ^.OH plays a major role and  ^.O^-₂ plays an auxiliary role.

Key words: tetracycline,  , Fe₃O₄@CF electrode, non-homogeneous electro-Fenton system, oxygen reduction reaction