INVESTIGATING THE EFFECT OF HYDROGEN PEROXIDE ON PHOTOCATALYTIC DEGRADATION OF COMMERCIAL PARACETAMOL USING TiO2

Abstract

The role of hydrogen peroxide on paracetamol degradation was investigated. Photocatalysis system contains UV radiation and commercial titania (TiO₂ ) as catalyst. The parameters studied for optimal photocatalysis conditions were catalyst dose (0.05 - 0.2 g), initial concentration of paracetamol (5 - 20 mg L-1), and irradiation times (0 - 210 min). Optimal condition obtained by determining the changes of paracetamol concentration converted to be degradation percentage. The influence of hydrogen peroxide concentrations (1 % - 7 %) on photocatalysis TiO₂ system was studied. The highest paracetamol degradation was obtained at addition of 3 %. It gives positive effect on degradation process. Thus, hybrid process (UV / TiO₂ / H₂O₂ ) is more effective in comparison to the process UV/ TiO₂ and UV/H₂O₂. Paracetamol (5 mg L-1) was degraded about 90.80 % using 0.1 g TiO₂ , 3 % H₂O₂ addition for 180 min. According to the GC-MS analysis results, paracetamol degradation forms new less toxic by-products. The hybrid process is an alternative technique for degradation of wastewater containing paracetamol.