Photocatalytic treatment of organic pollutants in a synthetic wastewater using UV light and combinations of TiO2, H2O2 and Fe(III)

PLoS One. 2019 May 15;14(5):e0216745. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0216745. eCollection 2019.

Abstract

In this study, the photocatalytic treatment of an organic wastewater with/without phenolic compounds by means of ultraviolet irradiation, titanium dioxide and hydrogen peroxide was examined in an annular photoreactor. Specifically, the effect of initial total carbon concentration, catalyst loading and H2O2 amount on the removal of total carbon was first examined in the case of a synthetic organic wastewater. The influence of partial carbon substitution by phenol, 2-chlorophenol, 2,4-discholophenol, trichlorophenol, and 4-nitrophenol on total carbon removal and target compounds' conversion was studied keeping constant the initial organic carbon load. It was shown that the process applied was effective in treating the wastewater for initial total carbon 32 mg L-1, 0.5 g L-1 TiO2, and 66.6 mg L-1 H2O2. Applying UV/TiO2 and UV/H2O2, 58% and 53% total carbon removals were achieved, respectively, but combining TiO2 and H2O2 did not result in a better performance in the case of the synthetic wastewater without any phenolic compounds. In contrast, when a phenolic compound was added, the addition of H2O2 was beneficial, eliminating the differences observed from one phenolic compound to another. The total carbon removals observed were lower than the corresponding final conversions of the target phenolic compounds. Finally, the electric energy per order values were calculated and found to range in 52-248 kWh/m3/order, being dependent from the process applied and the phenolic compound present in the wastewater.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Catalysis
  • Ferric Compounds
  • Hydrogen Peroxide
  • Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
  • Organic Chemicals / chemistry
  • Organic Chemicals / radiation effects
  • Phenols / chemistry
  • Phenols / radiation effects
  • Photochemical Processes
  • Titanium
  • Ultraviolet Rays
  • Wastewater / chemistry*
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical / chemistry*
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical / radiation effects*
  • Water Purification / instrumentation
  • Water Purification / methods*

Substances

  • Ferric Compounds
  • Organic Chemicals
  • Phenols
  • Waste Water
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical
  • titanium dioxide
  • Hydrogen Peroxide
  • Titanium

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Social Policy Grant of Nazarbayev University (Astana, Kazakhstan) awarded to Dr. Stavros Poulopoulos. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.