Degussa P-25 TiO2 induced Photocatalytic Oxidation of 2,4,6-Trichlorophenol

Abstract

Chlorophenols have significant environmental concern owing to their toxicity, carcinogenicity and bioaccumulation potential, especially in the aquatic environment. Inefficient treatment of industrial effluents and discharge of partially treated wastewater further aggravates the environmental and health issues. Degradation of 2,4,6-Trichlorophenol using photochemical oxidation (TiO2) has come up as a potential treatment option. The present study used Degussa P-25 nano-TiO2 at varying doses for the optimisation of treatment. An optimised dose of 250mg/l TiO2could remove 2,4,6-Trichlorophenol completely wi thin 210 minutes of reaction period. Addition of H2O2 to further increase the rates of treatment did not yield any benefit. It was observed that UV365exposure may be replaced by solar light but the reaction rate was lower compared to UV. Finally, the comparison of operational cost of UV photocatalysis, photo catalysis with H2O2, and solar photocatalysis revealed the cost of US $ 0.27 per litre, 0.30 per litre, and 0.16 per litre, respectively, thus making solar photocatalysis the best option, but for lower volumes of wastewater. It was concluded that photocatalytic oxidation can be a sustainable treatment option for degradation of 2,4,6-TCP considering its benefits to environment and health.