Combination of hydrodynamic cavitation with CoFe2O4 photocatalyst for activation of peracetic acid under UVC irradiation in synergistic degradation of bisphenol A

Abstract

This study was aimed at activating peracetic acid (PAA) to degrade bisphenol A (BPA) in aqueous media by combining a system of hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) with CoFe2O4 photocatalyst under UVC irradiation. The CoFe2O4 was successfully synthesized and characterized by various characterization techniques. The influence of various HC approaches alone and combined with photocatalysis on the BPA degradation was explored. After 60 min reaction, the BPA degradation efficiency achieved by CoFe2O4, UV, HC, and PAA individually was 0.69 %, 2.77 %, 6.45 %, and 14.23 %, respectively. At same experimental conditions, under the CoFe2O4 + HC + UV, CoFe2O4 + HC + PAA, CoFe2O4 + UV + PAA and CoFe2O4 + HC + UV + PAA processes, BPA degradation rates were 68.47 %, 77.91 %, 84.23 % and 97.29 %, respectively. The BPA degradation efficiency was examined under various operational parameters, including pH (3−11), BPA concentration (20–40 mg/L), load of CoFe2O4 (0.1–0.4 g/L), PAA dosage (50–200 μmol/L), inlet pressure (1.0–4.0 bar), and reaction time (0–60 min). 97.29 % BPA was degraded over 60 min in the ideal reaction conditions (pH: 7.0, BPA: 20 mg/L, CoFe2O4: 0.4 g/L, PAA: 200 μmol/L, inlet pressure:4.0 bar). BothO·Hradicals and R−O.were contributed to BPA reaction system, andO·Hplayed as the dominant contributor. Overall, CoFe2O4 + HC + UV + PAA system provides a low-energy and low-cost strategy for degrading and mineralizing organic contaminants from waters.