title: Photocatalytic degradation of microcystin-LR in aqueous solutions.
abstract: In this work, the photocatalytic degradation of aqueous microcystin-LR was studied using TiO(2) and ZnO as photocatalysts. The process was optimised and characterised at the bench scale (200 mL); both semiconductors exhibited a high degradation capacity at reaction times of 1 min (degradation greater than 95%). The transient species that were observed indicate that the degradation occurs via the multiple hydroxylation and elimination of the labile peptide residues of the molecule. When photocatalysis was applied in a continuous treatment system (20-50 L), the photocatalytic process exhibited a high degradation efficiency, which resulted in residual microcystin-LR concentrations that were less than 1 μg L(-1) (C(0)=5 μg L(-1)).
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal do Paraná, CP 19081, CEP 81531-980 Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Loraine C V
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Jacobs
authors.forename: Patricio
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Peralta-Zamora
authors.forename: Francinete Ramos
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Campos
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pontarolo
mesh_terms: D052918:Environmental Restoration and Remediation / Q000379:methods; D008387:Marine Toxins; D052998:Microcystins / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D010083:Oxidants, Photochemical / Q000737:chemistry; D055668:Photochemical Processes; D014025:Titanium / Q000737:chemistry; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods*; D015034:Zinc Oxide / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D008387:Marine Toxins; D052998:Microcystins; D010083:Oxidants, Photochemical; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C009495:titanium dioxide; D014025:Titanium; C057862:cyanoginosin LR; D015034:Zinc Oxide