Photocatalytic degradation of salicylic acid employing TIO2 and ZNO in aqueous suspension / Degradação fotocatalítica do ácido salicílico empregando TIO2 e ZNO em suspensão aquosa

• Published in: Brazilian Journal of Development Vol. 8; no. 4; pp. 25726 - 25743
• Main Authors: Reis, Isabela Brito, Santos, Melina Damasceno Rachid, Oliveira, Débora Guimarães de, Lourdes, Ângela Maria Ferreira de Oliveira, Silva, Júlio César José da, Andrade, Gustavo Fernandes Souza, Matos, Maria Auxiliadora Costa, Rocha, Lilian Lúcia da
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 12.04.2022
• ISSN: 2525-8761; 2525-8761
• DOI: 10.34117/bjdv8n4-204

The photocatalytic degradation of salicylic acid (SA) in reduced concentration (14.5 µmol L-1) was investigated using TiO2 and ZnO as photocatalysts under irradiation with UV light using UV-Vis spectrophotometry and HPLC analysis. The effect of different catalysts and catalyst loading, kinetic analysis, and dissolution of ZnO using the experimental conditions adopted were evaluated in acidic medium (pH = 3.0). Chronic ecotoxicity tests of the effluent from the reactions were conducted employing a concentration of 1 g L-1 of photocatalysts. The results showed that TiO2 and ZnO presented very similar performance for the SA degradation, whose profile followed first-order kinetics. The dissolution of ZnO observed was low using the experimental conditions adopted. Chronic ecotoxicity tests carried out showed that the use of ZnO/UV system for degradation of SA leads to a product with significant harmful effects on Ceriodaphnia dubia, even at reduced concentrations of the effluent from the reaction.