Abstract
Humic Acid (HA) is considered as one of the major components that represents a major fraction of dissolved in natural water. Complex mixture of organic compounds on HA lead to the problematic issue for municipal wastewater treatment plants such as undesirable taste, colour to drinking water and fouling in pipe line. The reaction of HA with chlorine during disinfection processes would produce carcinogenic by-products like trihalomethanes. In this study, for the first time, LaFeO3 photocatalyst was successfully synthesized via gel-combustion method using combined glucose/citric acid as chelating agents and was further calcined at 400°C. The photocatalytic activity of samples was investigated by degradation of Humic Acid (HA) in water under visible light irradiation. Results proved that the photocatalytic degradation of HA is dependent on the catalyst dosage, initial concentration of HA, and oxygen availability in the aeration. The photocatalytic degradation also was enhanced by high surface area of synthesized LaFeO3 obtained by amorphous structure. Overall, the percentage removal of HA by varying the catalyst dosage are in the order of 88%, 90%, 98% and 97% for 0.6 g/L, 0.8 g/L, 1.0 g/L, and 1.2 g/L respectively for an irradiation period of 120 minutes. Next, the removal of HA by manipulating its initial concentration are 98%, 90%, 85% and 86% with respect to 10 g/L, 20 g/L, 30 g/L and 40 g/L taken for 120 minutes. Overall, the optimal operational parameters for the removal of HA of catalyst dosage is 1.0 g/L performing at 98%, for initial concentration of HA which was removed efficiently at 97% is 10 g/L and via aeration in this study was about 93%, after 120 min of irradiation times.
Highlights
Humic acid, as part of natural organic matters, signifies 90% of dissolved organic carbon in surface water
The optimal operational parameters for the removal of Humic Acid (HA) of catalyst dosage is 1.0 g/L performing at 98%, for initial concentration of HA which was removed efficiently at 97% is 10 g/L and via aeration in this study was about 93%, after 120 min of irradiation times
It was revealed that amorphous products displayed high surface area when comparing to other crystalline products that could lead to high adsorption of pollutants on surface of photocatalyst [18]
Summary
As part of natural organic matters, signifies 90% of dissolved organic carbon in surface water. It possesses extremely complex molecular structures which mainly consist of many functional groups such as carboxylic, aromatic, phenolic, hydroxide radicals, ketone and quinone groups [1]. Perovskite based-photocatalyst have been widely studied due to its visible-light-driven properties in photocatalysis [9,10]. A novel photocatalyst of LaFeO3 nanoparticles was first prepared by gelcombustion method using glucose and citric acid as combined chelating agents. The adsorption and photocatalytic activity of LaFeO3 nanoparticles was investigated by degradation of HA in water under LED lamp under effect of effects of operational parameters such as catalyst dosage and HA initial concentration and aeration. The results indicated that sufficient amount of oxygen as electron acceptor and oxidizing agents in aeration significantly gives impact on adsorption and photocatalytic degradation
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