Evaluation of a TiO sub(2) photocatalysis treatment on nitrophenols and nitramines contaminated plant wastewaters by solid-phase extraction coupled with ESI HPLC-MS

• Published in: Journal of hazardous materials 2009-07, Vol.166 (1), p.284-290
• Main Authors: Perchet, G, Merlina, G, Revel, J C, Hafidi, M, Richard, C, Pinelli, E
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0304-3894; 1873-3336
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2008.11.013

Nitration reactions of aromatic compounds are commonly involved in different industrial processes for pharmaceutical, pesticide or military uses. For many years, most of the manufacturing sites used lagooning systems to treat their process effluents. In view of a photocatalytic degradation assay, the wastewater of a lagoon was investigated by using HPLC coupled with mass spectrometry. The wastewater was highly concentrated in RDX (hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine), HMX (octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine) and two herbicides Dinoterb (2-tert-butyl-4,6-dinitrophenol) and Dinoseb (2-sec-butyl-4,6-dinitrophenol). First of all, an analytical method using solid-phase extraction (SPE) combined with HPLC ESI MS/MS was put in work for identification and titration of RDX, HMX and the two dinitrophenols in a complex natural matrix. Then, the UV/TiO sub(2) treatment was investigated for pollutants removal. Dinitrophenolic compounds were significantly degraded after a 8-h-exposition of the wastewater/TiO sub(2) suspension, whereas RDX and HMX were poorly affected.