Abstract
This study investigates the photocatalytic degradation of dissolved organic matter (DOM) under ZnO-assisted artificial sunlight system at various conditions (ZnO dosage, pH, and the presence of Cl−, SO42−, and HCO3−). The results show that the degradation of DOM follows a pseudo-first-order kinetics. Fluorescence excitation–emission matrices coupled with parallel factor (EEM-PARAFAC) analysis decomposes DOM into two fluorophores (C1 and C2). The total removals and photodegradation rates calculated with DOC, UV254, and the Fmax of C1 are similar, increasing with higher ZnO dosages and being highest in pH 7 and lowest in pH 4. ZnO dosage has a similar effect on DOM degradation when assessed using C2, as with C1, but pH effect is not consistent. As for the anions, HCO3− shows the strongest inhibition for DOC, UV254 and C1 while Cl− has the strongest facilitation effect for C2. The total removal and photodegradation rates calculated with the Fmax of C1 and C2 are higher than those calculated using DOC and UV254. This study demonstrates that the successful application of EEM-PARAFAC analysis in addition to traditional parameters can provide further insight into the photocatalytic degradation mechanisms associated with DOM in conjunction with a ZnO catalyst under artificial sunlight.
Highlights
This study investigates the photocatalytic degradation of dissolved organic matter (DOM) under ZnO-assisted artificial sunlight system at various conditions (ZnO dosage, pH, and the presence of C l−, SO42−, and H CO3−)
DOC changes under photocatalytic degradation
All observed degradation trends followed a pseudo-first-order kinetic model (R2 = 0.96–1.00), which has been reported in other studies to describe the photodegradation of D OM15–17
Summary
This study investigates the photocatalytic degradation of dissolved organic matter (DOM) under ZnO-assisted artificial sunlight system at various conditions (ZnO dosage, pH, and the presence of C l−, SO42−, and H CO3−). This study demonstrates that the successful application of EEM-PARAFAC analysis in addition to traditional parameters can provide further insight into the photocatalytic degradation mechanisms associated with DOM in conjunction with a ZnO catalyst under artificial sunlight. Different treatment methods can be applied depending on the characteristics of the DOM, with the most common methods for DOM removal being coagulation, adsorption, membrane filtration, biological, ion exchange processes, and advanced oxidation processes (AOPs)[1,2,3]. Of these methods, AOPs have been found to be efficient. There is a remaining research question on how to exploit solar radiation (sunlight), a renewable, abundant, non-polluting, and cheap energy s ource[9], with a highly efficient and stable photocatalyst to enhance the photocatalytic efficiency and promote the application of photocatalytic technology for the treatment of water and wastewater
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