In this work, a series of Ag3PO4/g-C3N4 (AG) photocatalysts were synthesized. After characterizing the properties, the effects of mass ratio, light intensity, and material dosages on photodegradation were investigated. The material with a 1/2 mass ratio of Ag3PO4/g-C3N4 showed the highest photocatalytic activity under visible light, and the removal efficiency reached 90.22% for an initial suspended algae concentration of 2.7 × 106 cells/mL, 0.1 g of AG, and 3 h of irradiation. These results showed that the conductivity was increased while the total protein and COD contents of the algae suspension were declined rapidly. In contrast, the variations in the malondialdehyde (MDA) level suggested that the algae cell wall was severely damaged and that selective permeability of the membrane was significantly affected. A possible photocatalytic mechanism was proposed and •O2- was shown to be the major reactive oxygen species in the photocatalysis. In summary, during the visible light photocatalytic process, the cell structure was destroyed, which caused the leakage of electrolyte, the inactivation of protein, and the inhibition of photosynthesis; finally, the cells died. This study provides a reference for photodegradation of algae pollution in water bodies.
Keywords: Ag3PO4; Cell damage; Microcystis aeruginosa; Visible light photocatalysis; g-C3N4.
© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.