Heterogeneous photolysis of phenoles in aqueous medium

Abstract

UV/vis spectra and the molar absorption coefficients were measured for commercial bisphenol A and triclosan. The photochemical degradation of phenols was performed in an immersed finger reactor using titanium dioxide as a catalyst and polychromatic radiation via a high pressure mercury lamp. The incident radiation was measured by ferrioxalate actinometry (P = 1.5 x 10–4 Es.L–1.s–1) in the range 200–600 nm. Active radiation for excitation of TiO2 from 200 nm to 400 nm was P0 = 7.5 x 10–5 Es.L–1.s–1. Bisphenol A was degraded in aqueous solution at different pH and triclosan at pH = 12. Reactions were observed by means of HPLC. Half-times of photolysis for total mineralization of bisphenol A and triclosan were 27 min and 5 min, respectively.