Abstract |
Photocatalytic oxidation of dissolved organic matter by irradiation of slurries of zinc titanate, zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, and beach sand was studied using sunlamps. The reaction appears to follow first order kinetics in most cases. Zinc oxide appears to be a superior catalyst for this purpose. Photocatalysts are widely distributed in nature, and photolytic oxidation is a mechanism whereby dissolved organic matter is oxidized in the natural environments of streams and lakes. Photolytic oxidation reduced the dissolved organic matter in a sample of domestic sewage by 50% and 75% during 24 hours and 70 hours, respectively. The limiting factor appears to be the activity of the photocatalyst. The most promising area of photolysis application will be in problems of industrial disposal where the concentrations of organic matter are high. (WRSIC abstract) |