Titanium dioxide-mediated photocatalysed degradation of few selected organic pollutants in aqueous suspensions

The photocatalytic degradation of maleic hydrazide (1), propham (2), tebuthiuron (3), propachlor (4), chlortoluron (5), thiram (6), phenoxyacetic acid (7), 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxy acetic acid (8), 4-chlorophenoxy acetic acid (9), uracil (10), 5-bromouracil (11) and bromothymol blue (12) have been investigated in aqueous suspensions of titanium dioxide (TiO2) under a variety of conditions. The degradation was studied by monitoring the change in substrate concentration employing UV spectroscopic analysis technique and depletion in total organic carbon (TOC) content as a function of irradiation time. The degradation kinetics of the compounds were investigated under different conditions, such as types of TiO2, pH, catalyst concentration, substrate concentration, temperature and in the presence of different electron acceptors, such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), potassium persulphate (K2S2O8), ammonium persulphate (NH4)2S2O8 and potassium bromate (KBrO3) besides molecular oxygen. TiO2 Degussa P25 was found to be more efficient photocatalyst for the degradation of the model compounds as compared with other photocatalysts. The degradation products were analysed using GC/MS analysis technique and probable pathways for the formation of different products have been proposed.