INVESTIGADORES
LITTER Marta Irene
artículos
Título:
TiO2-photocatalytic treatment coupled with biological systems for the elimination of benzalkonium chloride in water
Autor/es:
E. LÓPEZ LOVEIRA; P.S. FIOL; G. CURUTCHET; R. CANDAL; M.I. LITTER
Revista:
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
Editorial:
ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV
Referencias:
Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2012 vol. 91 p. 108 - 116
ISSN:
1383-5866
Resumen:
TiO2
heterogeneous photocatalysis (HP) applied to the oxidation of benzalkonium
chloride (BKC), a bactericide widely used in pharmaceutical and cosmetic formulations
and risky for the biota, is presented. Although BKC is rapidly degraded by HP,
mineralization degree is low, indicating the formation of intermediate
compounds more resistant to the photocatalytic treatment.
Combination
of HP with a biological treatment improves the treatment. Both, use of TiO2-photocatalysis
as a pretreatment to improve the biodegradability of wastewaters and as a
polishing decontamination step after a biological treatment are analyzed. The biotreatment
can be used when the effluent contains a relatively low BKC concentration and
enough nutrients and carbon to sustain the life of the biomass. The bioreactor
reduces both COD and BKC concentration. Once the level of COD is reduced,
photocatalysis can be used for the total BKC elimination from the solution. On
the other hand, HP can be used to reduce BKC concentration in effluents
containing mostly this compound. Once the BKC concentration is low enough to be
innocuous to the biomass, the effluent can be combined with a solution containing
nutrients and carbon and treated by the biological method.