UV and solar light photocatalytic removal of organic contaminants in municipal wastewater

Abstract

This study investigated UV and solar photocatalysis of organic pollutants in municipal wastewater using metal-ion (Ag, Cu and Fe) doped TiO2 photocatalysts. The effects of pH and catalyst dosage on photocatalytic performance were determined. The best performance was obtained using 0.5 g/L catalyst concentration and pH 6, and the treated water met specific requirements of the drinking water quality standards (phenol ≤10 μg/L) and wastewater effluents for discharge chemical oxygen demand (COD) levels (<30 mg/L). The photocatalysts were effective under both UV and visible light, thereby overcoming the limitation of TiO2 which is only effective under UV light.