TiO₂ P25 and Kronos vlp 7000 materials activated by simulated solar light for atrazine degradation

Abstract

Photocatalysis-based technologies have been proposed for the treatment of wastewater containing atrazine (ATZ), a persistent and recalcitrant pollutant. This study aims to evaluate and compare the efficiency of TiO2 P25 and TiO2 modified with carbon (C–TiO2 Kronos vlp 7000) in the photocatalytic degradation of ATZ in aqueous systems. The experiments were performed in a tubular photochemical reactor equipped with a compound parabolic collector (CPC) irradiated by simulated solar light. The materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, BET specific surface area, and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. For TiO2 P25, ATZ removals varied in the range 86–100 % after 120 min of irradiation, although the total organic carbon (TOC) analyses indicated that no significant ATZ mineralization occurred (<20 %). C–TiO2 Kronos vlp 7000, on the other hand, was not able to completely remove ATZ after 120 min of irradiation. In this case, pesticide removals were 37–45 % over 120 min, while C–TiO2 performed better with regard to ATZ mineralization, with 38 % TOC removal. Given the low mineralization of atrazine, the intermediate compounds formed were identified for each photocatalytic material.