Photocatalytic Treatment of Atrazine-Contaminated Water

This research performed experimental work in the area of photocatalysis using titanium dioxide as a photocatalyst for water treatment applications. The test compared TiO₂ photocatalysis attached to a granular medium against an adsorbant, granular activated carbon, to quantify and model the degradation of atrazine in water. The result of the laboratory study showed that atrazine at low aqueous concentrations degrades rapidly with both processes. After ten minutes of reaction, the TiO₂ & GAC produced a 97% reduction compared with GAC adsorption at a 90% reduction. Statistical testing found that at higher initial concentrations photocatalysis was significantly more effective than adsorption. This work demonstrated that photocatalysis is a preferred method for treating atrazine since it degrades organic compounds rapidly in ultraviolet light.