Application of g-C3N4-PVDF membrane for the photocatalytic degradation of micropollutants in continuous flow mode: Impact of water matrix

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2023

Authors

Nieto Sandoval, J (Author) Other; Torres Pinto, A (Author) Other; Pedrosa, M (Author) FEUP; Munoz, M (Author) Other; de Pedro, ZM (Author) Other; Claudia G Silva (Author) FEUP; Joaquim Luís Faria (Author) FEUP; Casas, JA (Author) Other; Silva, Adrian (Author) FEUP

Journal

Title: Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering

Vol. 11

ISSN: 2213-3437

Publisher: Elsevier

Indexing

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Associated Projects

LA LSRE-LCM - Financiamento Plurianual 2020-2023 para a Unidade LA LSRE-LCM Laboratório de Processos de Separação e Reacção - Laboratório de Catálise e Materiais

DRopH2O - Qualidade da água de consumo: alerta precoce e remoção de microcontaminantes por materiais inovadores à base de carbono

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00Y-SGT

DOI: 10.1016/j.jece.2023.110586

Abstract (EN): The combination of photocatalysis with membrane separation technology allows to mitigate potential membrane fouling while degrading the organic micropollutants in water. This work is focused on the immobilization of a gC3N4 promising photocatalyst, in the form of a g-C3N4-PVDF polymeric membrane, for the elimination of representative pharmaceutical substances from complex water matrices in a continuous flow mode under visible light irradiation. Metoprolol (MTP), venlafaxine (VEN) and diclofenac (DCF) in a mixture (at 250 & mu;g L-1 each) were fed to the system at room temperature. The adsorption of these substances on the membrane was negligible (< 5%) in the dark. Removals of 89%, 92% and 72% for MTP, VEN and DCF, respectively, were achieved in deionized water using visible-light emitting diodes (LEDs) as light source. Moreover, the permeate flux remained constant throughout the experiments (89.5 L m- 2 h-1). The membrane system was then assessed using urban wastewater treatment plant effluent, surface and tap waters, spiked with the target analytes. As expected, a worse performance was observed with these matrices, although still high removals were achieved in tap water (73%, 61% and 75%, respectively for MTP, VEN and DCF). Accordingly, the impact of the occurrence of humic acid as representative species of natural organic matter, as well as inorganic ions such as chlorides, sulphates, phosphates and carbonates, was evaluated in more detail. Clearly, humic acid and sulphates were the most impactful on the treatment performance. Finally, different scavengers were used to understand the photocatalytic mechanism, suggesting that superoxide radicals and photogenerated holes were the main active species involved in the removal of the studied micropollutants.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 10