Photodegradation of micropollutants using V-UV/UV-C processes: Triclosan as a model compound

Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

Authors

  • Yuval Alfiya
  • Eran Friedler
  • Janin Westphal
  • Oliver Olsson
  • Yael Dubowski

Non-potable reuse of treated wastewater is becoming widespread as means to address growing water scarcity. Removal of micropollutants (MPs) from such water often requires advanced oxidation processes using [rad]OH radicals. [rad]OH can be generated in-situ via water photolysis under vacuum-UV (λ < 200 nm) irradiation. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of unmasking V-UV radiation from low pressure Hg lamps (emitting at 185 and 254 nm), commonly used in decentralized treatment systems, for enhancing MPs removal efficiency. Triclosan, a biocide of limited biodegradability, served as a model compound for MPs that are not very biodegradable. Its degradation kinetics and identification of intermediate products were investigated under 254 nm and under combined 254/185 nm irradiation both in dry thin films and in aqueous solutions. In the latter, degradation was faster under combined 254/185 nm radiation, although the 185 nm radiation accounted for only 4% of the total UV light intensity. In contrast, triclosan photodegradation in dry film did not show significant differences between these irradiation wavelengths, suggesting that the enhanced degradation of dissolved triclosan under combined radiation is mainly due to oxidation by [rad]OH formed via water photolysis under V-UV. This conclusion was supported by slower TCS degradation in aqueous solution when methanol was added as [rad]OH scavenger. Under both irradiation types (254, 254/185 nm) three transformation products (TPs) were identified: 2,8-dichlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, 5-chloro-2-(4- or 2-chlorophenoxy)phenol, and 2-hydroxy-8-chlorodibenzodioxin. In-silico QSAR toxicity assessment predicted potential toxicity and moderate-to-low biodegradability of these TPs. Removal of these TPs was faster under 254/185 nm irradiation. Considering the low cost, simple operation (i.e. no chemicals addition) and small size of such low-pressure mercury lamps, this is a promising direction. Further investigation of the process in flow-through reactors and real wastewater/greywater effluent is needed for its future implementation in small on-site systems for post-treatment of persistent pollutants.

Original languageEnglish
JournalThe Science of The Total Environment
Volume601-602
Pages (from-to)397-404
Number of pages8
ISSN0048-9697
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 01.12.2017

    Research areas

  • Engineering - Advanced oxidation process, Decentralized wastewater treatment, Micropollutants, Transformation products, Triclosan, Vacuum ultra-violet
  • Chemistry

Recently viewed

Publications

  1. What is missing in the EVS?
  2. Efficacy of a Web-Based Intervention With Mobile Phone Support in Treating Depressive Symptoms in Adults With Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes
  3. Contextualizing the relationship between self-commitment and performance
  4. What´s in a net? or: The end of the average
  5. The Effect of Implicit Moral Attitudes on Managerial Decision-Making
  6. The Creation of the Concept through the Interaction of Philosophy with Science and Art
  7. Rethinking the Spatiality of Spatial Planning
  8. An Unusual Encounter with Oneself
  9. IWRM through WFD implementation? Drivers for integration in polycentric water governance systems
  10. Variational Pragmatics
  11. Understanding Innovation
  12. Operations Systems of Container Terminals
  13. Development and criterion validity of differentiated and elevated vocational interests in adolescence
  14. Multi-Professional Support
  15. Impact of above- and below-ground invertebrates on temporal and spatial stability of grassland of different diversity
  16. Polar Coordinates and Interactive Learning
  17. Reliability and Validity of Assessing User Satisfaction With Web-Based Health Interventions
  18. Informatik
  19. Learning from partially annotated sequences
  20. Modelling ammonia emissions after field application of biogas slurries
  21. Efficient co-regularised least squares regression
  22. Using measures of reading time regularity (RTR) to quantify eye movement dynamics, and how they are shaped by linguistic information
  23. Optimal control strategies for PMSM with a decoupling super twisting SMC and inductance estimation in the presence of saturation
  24. Key Element No. 2: Applying Diagnostic Forms of Assessment
  25. Experimentally validated multi-step simulation strategy to predict the fatigue crack propagation rate in residual stress fields after laser shock peening
  26. Perfectly nested or significantly nested - an important difference for conservation management
  27. Deciding between the Covariance Analytical Approach and the Change-Score Approach in Two Wave Panel Data
  28. Facing Up to Third Party Liability for Space Activities
  29. Playing in the Spaces: Anarchism in the Classroom
  30. Solution for the direct kinematics problem of the general stewart-gough platform by using only linear actuators’ orientations