Photocatalytic degradation of phenanthrene on soil surfaces in the presence of nanometer anatase TiO sub(2) under UV-light

• Published in: Journal of environmental sciences (China) 2012-12, Vol.24 (12), p.2122-2126
• Main Authors: Gu, Jiali, Dong, Dianbo, Kong, Lingxue, Zheng, Yong, Li, Xiaojun
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anatase; China; Degradation; Humic acids; Phenanthrene; Photocatalysis; Soil (material); Titanium dioxide
• ISSN: 1001-0742

The effect of nanometer anatase TiO sub(2) was investigated on the photocatalytic degradation of phenanthrene on soil surfaces under a variety of conditions. After being spiked with phenanthrene, soil samples loaded with different amounts of TiO sub(2) (0 wt.%, 1 wt.%, 2 wt.%, 3 wt.%, and 4 wt.%) were exposed to UV-light irradiation for 25 hr. The results indicated that the photocatalytic degradation of phenanthrene followed the pseudo first-order kinetics. TiO sub(2) significantly accelerated the degradation of phenanthrene with the half-life reduced from 45.90 to 31.36 hr for TiO sub(2) loading of 0 wt.% and 4 wt.%, respectively. In addition, the effects of H sub(2)O sub(2), light intensity and humic acid on the degradation of phenanthrene were investigated. The degradation of phenanthrene increased with the concentration of H sub(2)O sub(2), light intensity and the concentration of humic acids. It has been demonstrated that the photocatalytic method in the presence of nanometer anatase TiO sub(2) was a very promising technology for the treatments of soil polluted with organic substances in the future.