Photo-oxidation of phenol in aqueous solution: Toxicity of intermediates

Amir Hossein Mahvi; Afshin Maleki; Mahmood Alimohamadi; Azar Ghasri

Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering, Vol.24, No.1, 79-82, January, 2007

DOI10.1007/s11814-007-5013-4 Export Citation

Photo-oxidation of phenol in aqueous solution: Toxicity of intermediates

Amir Hossein Mahvi^†, Afshin Maleki¹, Mahmood Alimohamadi¹, and Azar Ghasri¹

Center for Environmental Research, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
¹Dept. of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

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The photodegradation of phenol was studied in a batch reactor system illuminated with a 400 W medium pressure mercury lamp. The effects of parameters such as pH, reaction time and initial phenol concentration on the photolytic degradation and toxicity assay have been studied. The experimental results have shown that lower pH and lower concentration of phenol favor the phenol degradation. The disappearance of phenol in each case approximately obeyed first-order kinetics with the apparent rate constants increasing with decreasing solute concentration. Bioassay tests showed that phenol was toxic to Daphnia magna and so resulted in quite low LC50 values. Comparison of toxicity units (TU) between phenol and effluent toxicity has shown that TU value for effluent was 2.18 times lower than that obtained for phenol. Thus, photolysis is able to decrease the toxicity of by-products formed during the degradation of phenol.

Keywords:Photodegradation;Ultraviolet;Phenol;Bioassay

[References]

Akbal F, Nuronar A, Environ. Monit. Assess., 83, 295 (2003)
Alnaizy R, Akgerman A, Adv. Environ. Res., 4, 233 (2000)
APHA, AWWA and WEF, Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater, 19th Ed., Washington (1995)
Bali U, Catalkaya EC, Sengul F, J. Environ. Sci. Health A-Envir., 38, 2259 (2003)
Bolton JR, Carter SR, Homogeneous photodegradation of pollutants in contaminated water: An introduction in aquatic and surface photochemistry, Lewis Publishers, Boca Raton, USA (1994)
Chun H, Yizhong W, Hongxiao T, Chemosphere, 41, 1205 (2000)
Esplugas S, Gimenez J, Contreras S, Pascual E, Rodr guez M, Water Res., 36, 1034 (2002)
Goi A, Trapido M, Tuhkanen T, Adv. Environ. Res., 8, 303 (2004)
Guerra R, Chemosphere, 44, 1737 (2001)
Han WY, Zhu WP, Zhang PY, Zhang Y, Li LS, Catal. Today, 90(3-4), 319 (2004)
Jin H, Yang X, Yin D, Yu H, Mar. Pollut. Bull., 39, 122 (1999)
Lathasreea S, Nageswara RA, SivaSankarb B, Sadasivamb V, Rengarajb K, J. Mol. Catal. A-Chem., 223, 101 (2004)
Lee HJ, Kang DW, Chi J, Lee DH, Korean J. Chem. Eng., 20(3), 503 (2003)
Lee MH, Kim SB, Son SM, Cheon JK, Korean J. Chem. Eng., 23(2), 309 (2006)
Maleki A, Zazoli MA, Eslami A, Al-Haitham J. Sci. Technol., 1, 73 (2005)
Wu C, Liu X, Wei D, Fan J, Wang L, Water Res., 35, 3927 (2001)
Wu Z, Cong Y, Zhou M, Ye Q, Tan T, Korean J. Chem. Eng., 19(5), 866 (2002)
Xiaoli Y, Huixiang S, Dahui W, Korean J. Chem. Eng., 20(4), 679 (2003)

[Referenced By]

[1] Akbal F, Nuronar A, Environ. Monit. Assess., 83, 295 (2003)

[2] Alnaizy R, Akgerman A, Adv. Environ. Res., 4, 233 (2000)

[3] APHA, AWWA and WEF, Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater, 19th Ed., Washington (1995)

[4] Bali U, Catalkaya EC, Sengul F, J. Environ. Sci. Health A-Envir., 38, 2259 (2003)

[5] Bolton JR, Carter SR, Homogeneous photodegradation of pollutants in contaminated water: An introduction in aquatic and surface photochemistry, Lewis Publishers, Boca Raton, USA (1994)

[6] Chun H, Yizhong W, Hongxiao T, Chemosphere, 41, 1205 (2000)

[7] Esplugas S, Gimenez J, Contreras S, Pascual E, Rodr guez M, Water Res., 36, 1034 (2002)

[8] Goi A, Trapido M, Tuhkanen T, Adv. Environ. Res., 8, 303 (2004)

[9] Guerra R, Chemosphere, 44, 1737 (2001)

[10] Han WY, Zhu WP, Zhang PY, Zhang Y, Li LS, Catal. Today, 90(3-4), 319 (2004)

[11] Jin H, Yang X, Yin D, Yu H, Mar. Pollut. Bull., 39, 122 (1999)

[12] Lathasreea S, Nageswara RA, SivaSankarb B, Sadasivamb V, Rengarajb K, J. Mol. Catal. A-Chem., 223, 101 (2004)

[13] Lee HJ, Kang DW, Chi J, Lee DH, Korean J. Chem. Eng., 20(3), 503 (2003)

[14] Lee MH, Kim SB, Son SM, Cheon JK, Korean J. Chem. Eng., 23(2), 309 (2006)

[15] Maleki A, Zazoli MA, Eslami A, Al-Haitham J. Sci. Technol., 1, 73 (2005)

[16] Wu C, Liu X, Wei D, Fan J, Wang L, Water Res., 35, 3927 (2001)

[17] Wu Z, Cong Y, Zhou M, Ye Q, Tan T, Korean J. Chem. Eng., 19(5), 866 (2002)

[18] Xiaoli Y, Huixiang S, Dahui W, Korean J. Chem. Eng., 20(4), 679 (2003)