Abstract
Abstract The aim of this investigation was to study the degradation of tributyl phosphate (TBP) in aqueous solution by heterogeneous photocatalysis (UV-C/TiO2). To perform the investigation, aqueous solutions containing the contaminant were exposed to UV radiation in the absence or presence of TiO2 in suspension or supported on a Fe-Cr metal alloy plate. TBP analyses before and after the treatment were performed by Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography (UPLC) in order to quantify the contaminant degradation. The results showed that the TiO2 photocatalytic system was able to remove TBP from the solution and the formation of some by-products was observed. TiO2 photocatalytic systems were able to reduce acute toxicity in an Artemia Salina bioassay according to the increase in LC50 from 10.2 ± 0.5%(v/v) to 16.9 ± 0.6 %(v/v) for the immobilized system and to levels which were not possible to detect by the applied method any more for the suspension system.
Highlights
The development of analytical methods has led to the detection and quantification of Emerging Contaminants (ECs) in the environment
The aim of this investigation was to study the degradation of tributyl phosphate (TBP) in aqueous solution by heterogeneous photocatalysis (UV-C/TiO2)
The results showed that the TiO2 photocatalytic system was able to remove TBP from the solution and the formation of some by-products was observed
Summary
The development of analytical methods has led to the detection and quantification of Emerging Contaminants (ECs) in the environment. ECs are defined as chemicals whose presence has recently been detected in several environments and their ecological and health effects are causing increasing concern around the world. They include pharmaceuticals, personal care products, detergents, food additives and pesticides, among others (Focazio et al, 2008; Estévez et al, 2012; De la Cruz et al, 2013; Giannakis et al, 2015). OPFRs are formed by organic esters with phosphorus bonds to one or more oxygen molecules They are toxic and persistent, causing negative effects to the environment and human health (Liu et al, 2013a; Cristale et al, 2016). Some of them have neurotoxic and carcinogenic characteristics (Flaskos, 2012)
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