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Citation
Tags
HERO ID
193498
Reference Type
Journal Article
Title
Photocatalytic oxidation of arsenite in TiO2 suspension: kinetics and mechanisms
Author(s)
Lee, H; Choi, W
Year
2002
Is Peer Reviewed?
1
Journal
Environmental Science & Technology
ISSN:
0013-936X
EISSN:
1520-5851
Volume
36
Issue
17
Page Numbers
3872-3878
Language
English
PMID
12322763
DOI
10.1021/es0158197
Web of Science Id
WOS:000177889100043
Abstract
Arsenite [As(III)] and arsenate [As(V)] are highly toxic aquatic contaminants. Since arsenite is more mobile in natural waters and less efficiently removed in adsorption/coagulation processes than arsenate, the oxidation of arsenite to arsenate is desirable in water treatment. We performed the photocatalytic oxidation of arsenite in aqueous TiO2 suspension and investigated the effects of pH, dissolved oxygen, humic acid (HA), and ferric ions on the kinetics and mechanisms of arsenite oxidation. Arsenite oxidation in UV-illuminated TiO2 suspension was highly efficient in the presence of dissolved oxygen. Homogeneous photooxidation of arsenite in the absence of TiO2 was negligibly slow. Since the addition of excess tert-butyl alcohol (OH radical scavenger) did not reduce the rate of arsenite oxidation, the OH radicals should not be responsible for As(III) oxidation. The addition of HA increased both arsenite oxidation and H2O2 production at pH 3 under illumination, which could be ascribed to the enhanced superoxide generation through sensitization. We propose that the superoxide is the main oxidant of arsenite in the TiO2/UV process. The addition of ferric ions also significantly enhanced the arsenite photooxidation. In this case, the addition of tert-butyl alcohol reduced the arsenite oxidation rate, which implied thatthe OH radical-mediated oxidation path was operative in the presence of ferric ions. Since both Fe3+ and HA that were often found with the arsenic in groundwater were beneficial to the photocatalytic oxidation of arsenite, the TiO2/UV process could be a viable pretreatment method. This can be as simple as exposing the arsenic-polluted water in a TiO2-coated trough to sunlight.
Tags
IRIS
•
Arsenic Hazard ID
1. Initial Lit Search
PubMed
ToxNet
4. Considered through Oct 2015
6. Cluster Filter through Oct 2015
•
Arsenic (Inorganic)
1. Literature
PubMed
Toxline, TSCATS, & DART
•
tert-Butanol
Considered Studies
Electronic Search
Excluded/ Not on Topic
Methodology/Solvent
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