Photocatalytic degradation of 3,4-dichlorophenol using TiO₂ in a shallow pond slurry reactor

Abstract

75-81In the present study, the TiO2 mediated photocatalytic degradation of 3,4-dichlorophenol, as a model compound, has been investigated using a low cost non-concentrating shallow pond slurry reactor at laboratory scale under a variety of conditions. The degradation was studied by monitoring the change in substrate concentration employing UV-spectroscopic analysis, decrease in COD values and increase in chloride formation as a function of irradiation time. The effect of pH, catalyst loading, substrate concentration, UV intensity, aperture to volume ratio of the reactor and presence of electron acceptors such as hydrogen peroxide besides molecular oxygen, on degradation, was studied. The degradation rates were strongly influenced by some of these parameters. The optimum parameters for maximum degradation were determined. The degradation of 3,4-dichlorophenol can be emulated in sunlight using a similar large-scale shallow pond reactor for the solar detoxification in open atmosphere