Titanium Dioxide Photocatalysis for Mitigation of Organic Drinking Water Contaminants
Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) such as titanium dioxide photocatalysis are of increasing interest in water/wastewater treatment applications. Titanium dioxide nanoparticles can be activated by ultraviolet light, thereby producing radical chemical species such as hydroxyl radicals, which can degrade an array of organic contaminants. Our team is interested in the potential of titanium dioxide photocatalysis paired with filtration to treat emerging organic contaminants, including disinfection byproducts (specifically their organic precursor material), enteric viruses and estrogenic micropollutants.
These emerging contaminants are listed on the Environmental Protection Agency’s Contaminant Candidate List (CCL). The CCL contaminants are subject to priority research in order to understand more about their occurrence, fate, effects, treatability, etc. to guide regulatory determinations. This work investigates the treatability of organic matter, viruses, and estrogenic micropollutants using titanium dioxide photocatalysis, and also evaluates the impact on downstream filtration processes.
This work investigates the treatability of organic matter, viruses, and estrogenic micropollutants using titanium dioxide photocatalysis, and also evaluates the impact on downstream filtration processes.
It is funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the NSF's I/UCRC Water Equipment and Policy (WEP) Center, and the NSF's I/UCRC Water & Environmental Technology (WET) Center (PI-Mayer, Co-PI Abbaszadegan, Co-PI McNamara, Co-PI Zitomer).
Students involved include Carlan Johnson and Nicole Wellenstein.
RELATED PUBLICATIONS:
Mayer, B.K., Daugherty, E., Abbaszadegan, M. 2015.
Evaluation of the relationship between bulk organic precursors and disinfection byproduct formation for advanced oxidation processes. Chemosphere. 121:39-46.
Mayer, B.K., Daugherty, E., Abbaszadegan, M. 2014.
Disinfection byproduct formation resulting from settled, filtered, and finished water treated by titanium dioxide photocatalysis. Chemosphere. 117:72-78.
Gerrity, D., Mayer, B.K., Ryu, H., Crittenden, J., Abbaszadegan, M. 2009.
A comparison of pilot-scale photocatalysis and enhanced coagulation for disinfection byproduct mitigation. Water Res. 43:6:1597-1610.