Abstract
Microcystin-RR (MC-RR), a form of microcystin with two arginine moieties, is a cyanobacterial toxin that has been detected across a wide geographic range. It is a great concern globally because of its potential liver toxicity. Herein, the abilities of BiVO4, Ag-BiVO4, Ag2O-BiVO4 and Ag/Ag2O-BiVO4 to photocatalytically degrade MC-RR under visible-light irradiation (λ ≥ 420 nm) were investigated and compared. The possible degradation pathways were explored through analysis of the reaction intermediates by high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The results showed that the presence of Ag0 enhanced the photocatalytic efficiency of Ag/Ag2O-BiVO4 via a synergetic effect between Ag2O and Ag0 at the p-n heterojunction. Moreover, the presence of Ag0 also greatly promoted the adsorption of MC-RR on the photocatalyst surface. Toxicological experiments on mice showed that the toxicity of MC-RR was significantly reduced after photocatalytic degradation.
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