Removal of 2,5-Dichlorophenol from Aquatic Environment Using TiO2 as Photocatalyst

Abstract

To investigate the photodegradation of organics in the aqueous suspension of photocatalyst, 2,5-dichlorophenol (2,5-DCP) was taken
as organic pollutant, TiO2 was used as photocatalyst and monochromatic UV light of wavelength 254 nm was used for irradiation. The
photodegradation was found to be affected by the initial concentration of 2,5-DCP, the concentration of TiO2 suspension and the
initial pH of the solution. The optimum conditions for the photodegradation were pH 4.8 and the concentration of the suspension 0.8 g
/100 mL of solution. The complete photodegradation of 8×10-4 M 2,5-DCP solution was observed after 4 hours of irradiation in the
suspension under optimum conditions. The photodegradation ended up by mineralization, which was confirmed by the presence of Clion
and by the increased concentration of hydrogen ion.