Title: Solar photocatalytic detoxification using immobilised titanium oxide: a cost-effective tertiary treatment method for decentralised wastewater effluents

Authors: Mohammed Matouq; Daed Dabbas; Bassim Abbassi

Addresses: Chemical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering Technology, Al-Balqa Applied University, Amman, 11131, Jordan ' The International Center for Research on Water Environment and Energy, Balqa Applied University, Al-Salt, Jordan ' Department of Water Resources and Environmental Management, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Al-Balqa Applied University, Salt, Jordan

Abstract: The use of TiO₂ as a solar photocatalytic oxidant to treat real wastewater effluent from a decentralised unit was investigated. Potassium hydrogen phthalate (KHP) is used here as a standard for both chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total organic carbon (TOC). The catalyst load, initial KHP concentration and pH are the variables studied in this research. The optimum flow rate is 2.5 L/min in the tubular reactor. The removal efficiency of the organic compounds reduces as the initial concentration of KHP increases. The photocatalytic oxidation is dependent on pH and, it increases with the increasing of pH, the results show that a complete oxidation of KHP occurs at pH 9. Treatment of secondary treated wastewater results in about 50% for COD reduction which could attribute to the removal of organic matter and 100% inactivation of E. coli with no regrowth after 24 h storage in dark was obtained.

Keywords: wastewater treatment; catalytic degradation; TiO₂; P25/Evonic; photo catalytic; water treatment KHP degradation; TiO₂ detoxification; solar radiation; TiO₂ kinetics.

DOI: 10.1504/IJHST.2018.090898

International Journal of Hydrology Science and Technology, 2018 Vol.8 No.2, pp.175 - 189

Received: 30 Jan 2017
Accepted: 25 Mar 2017
Published online: 03 Apr 2018 *

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