Photocatalytic Removal of Organic Pollutants from Industrial Wastewater Using TiO 2 Catalyst

Abstract

Degradation of organic pollutants in wastewater was investigated by photocatalysis method using anatase modification of titanium-dioxide (TiO2) catalyst with different structures. Laboratory experiments were carried out with industrial wastewaters consisting of different contents of organic pollutants. Two types of TiO2 catalyst: TiO2 having a size near to nanoparticles (about 3 - 4 micron in size) and the nanostructured 15 nm sized TiO2 were used to find optimum conditions of photocatalytic degradation and removal of organic compounds from wastewater. This paper discusses the effect of various parameters on the degradation rate including the catalyst concentration, process duration as well as the catalytic effectiveness of the TiO2 particles’ size. In addition, the effect of UV and visible light sources on the degradation process was studied. The process performed with nanostructured TiO2 catalyst under visible light was very successfully allowing best degradation of organic compounds.