Photocatalytic Degradation of 2,4,6-Trichlorophenol Using P-25 TiO2

The continuous release of persistent organic compounds like chlorophenols has deteriorated the natural environment. These chlorinated aromatic compounds are released from various industrial units, agricultural manufacturing products, wood preservative agents, etc. As conventional treatment methods find it difficult to remove these recalcitrant, advanced oxidation processes have gained the attention of the scientific world towards the elimination of these toxicants. Photocatalytic degradation using Degussa P-25 Nano-TiO2 was used at varying doses. It was observed that at the optimized dose of 250 mg/l of TiO2, almost complete removal of TCP was there in 4 h. No enhanced oxidation of TCP was observed when H2O2 was added as an oxidant. Solar-induced photocatalysis reported a slower rate of degradation as compared to UV induced. The economic analysis of all the processes (UV/TiO2; UV/TiO2/H2O2; Solar/TiO2) revealed the operational cost of the treatment. It was concluded that the photocatalytic treatment as a better treatment option in terms of cost and time consumption. However, solar photocatalysis could also be considered a sustainable approach since it is energy and cost-efficient but a time-consuming process which directly depends upon the intensity of sunlight.