INVESTIGADORES
CARLOS Luciano
congresos y reuniones científicas
Título:
Solar-Based Photochemical Processes for the Removal of Emerging Pollutants
Autor/es:
JUAN GOMIS; ANTONIO BERNABEU; LUCIANO CARLOS; ROSA VERCHER; RAFAEL VICENTE; ANA M. AMAT; ANTONIO ARQUES
Lugar:
Jacksonville
Reunión:
Conferencia; The18th International Conference on Advanced Oxidation Technologies for Treatment of Water, Air and Soil (AOTs-18); 2012
Resumen:
Emerging pollutants constitute a serious environmental concern; among this group different families of chemicals such as personal care products, pesticides, pharmaceuticals or their metabolites can be found. These compounds are released to the aquatic systems and, although their concentration is commonly low (typically μg/L or even ng/L) their potential effects towards humans or the environment are not totally determined1. Conventional wastewater treatment plants are not able to deal with this concern and hence, these chemicals have been detected at their effluents, which constitutes a major drawback for the potential reuse of water. Photochemical oxidative processes might constitute an attractive alternative to deal with this environmental concern. Some results have demonstrated the applicability of these methods; in particular, those involving sunlight as irradiation source are interesting because of the economical and ecological advantages that they involve2. In this work, the elimination of six emerging contaminants, namely acetaminophen (analgesic), caffeine (stimulating agent), acetemiprid (insecticide), clofibric acid (metabolite of clofibrate, also employed as herbicide), carbamazepine (psychiatric drug) and amoxycillin (antibiotic) have been studied. Different oxidative processes have been studied with special emphasys in the photo-Fenton process. Experiments have been carried out at the optimal acidic pH, but also at circumneutral conditions; although the reaction rate suffered a significant decrease at neutral pH, some elimination of the pollutants was reached3. The role of some organics such as humic substances on the sunlight-driven removal of the studied pollutants will be determined; in particular the possibility of enhancing the efficiency of neutral photo-Fenton by preventing precipitation of iron oxides3. Finally, soluble bio-organic substances extracted from solid urban wastes will be tested. These substances show similar chemical composition than humic substances and hence, somo photochemical behaviour should be expected4. This would result in an enhances sustainability of the process, as a waste is revalorized for wastewater treatment.