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SOLAR/VISIBLE LIGHT-ACTIVATED TIO2 PHOTOCATALYST FOR THE DEGRADATION OF CONTAMINANTS OF EMERGING CONCERN IN WATER
Citation:
Nadagouda, M., H. C, K. J. A., F. P., R. Lombardi P., AND D. D. D. SOLAR/VISIBLE LIGHT-ACTIVATED TIO2 PHOTOCATALYST FOR THE DEGRADATION OF CONTAMINANTS OF EMERGING CONCERN IN WATER. Presented at the 2013 Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors Research and Education Conference, Golden, Colorado, CO, July 14 - 16, 2013.
Impact/Purpose:
Water Treatment
Description:
Many kinds of water contaminants, including pesticides, pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), and naturally occurring toxins (e.g., cyanotoxins) have been found in the environment [1-3]. Due to their adverse effects (toxicity, endocrine disruption, growth problems, and feminization), the US EPA established the Drinking Water Contaminant Candidate List 3 (CCL3) which includes cyanotoxins, several PPCPs (nine hormones and one antibiotic), and pesticides [4]. Even though the purification of water containing any of these contaminants is very critical to protect the health of humans and animals as well as the ecosystem, in some cases, the efficacy of conventional drinking water treatment systems is not enough to completely remove them from water. Therefore, developing reliable technologies and methods is of great interest for effective elimination of these contaminants in water. Since the first report on the photoinduced water cleavage using TiO2, photocatalysis based on TiO2 and related materials has been extensively studied for the decomposition of various contaminants [5]. Many researchers have expended tremendous efforts to extend the photoresponse region of TiO2 toward visible light (~45% of the solar spectrum) due to large bandgap of conventional TiO2 (3.2 eV for anatase) [6, 7]. In this study, visible light-activated, sulfur-doped TiO2 photocatalytic films and Ag-decorated, monodisperse TiO2 particles were synthesized by modified sol-gel methods. Their physicochemical properties were characterized with UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and porosimetry analysis. The prepared materials were investigated for the degradation of cyanotoxins and antibiotics. Results on the synthesis, characterization, and photocatalytic activity evaluation of these materials will be presented.
