title: Degradation of naproxen by UV, VUV photolysis and their combination.
abstract: Naproxen is a widely used nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug. Recently, this medicine was detected both in natural waters (up to 1.5 μg L(-1)) and in sewage treatment plant effluents (up to 5.2 μg L(-1)). Moreover, naproxen is only partly eliminated by classical processes used in sewage treatment plants. Therefore, its degradation is of utmost interest. Advanced oxidation processes proved to be the most suitable methods for the elimination of persistent organic contaminants. In this work ultraviolet (UV, 254 nm), vacuum ultraviolet photolysis (VUV, 172 nm) and their combination (UV/VUV, 254/185 nm) were investigated. The efficiency of the methods increased in the following order: UV < VUV < UV/VUV photolysis. However, VUV irradiation was found to mineralize the contaminant molecule most effectively. The chemical structures of three out of four aromatic by-products and of some aliphatic carboxylic acids were presumed. The effects of dissolved O2 and the initial concentration of naproxen on the degradation were also investigated.
authors.affiliation: Research Group of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of Szeged, Rerrich Béla tér 1, H-6720 Szeged, Hungary.
authors.forename: Eszter
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Arany
authors.forename: Rita Katalin
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Szabó
authors.forename: László
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Apáti
authors.forename: Tünde
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Alapi
authors.forename: István
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ilisz
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mazellier
authors.forename: András
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dombi
authors.forename: Krisztina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gajda-Schrantz
mesh_terms: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000737:chemistry*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D009288:Naproxen / Q000737:chemistry*; D010782:Photolysis; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D009288:Naproxen
keywords: Advanced oxidation process; Dissolved O(2); Mineralization; Naproxen; UV/VUV photolysis