Solar heterogeneous photocatalytic degradation of phenol on TiO/quartz and TiO/calcite: a statistical and kinetic approach on comparative efficiencies towards a TiO/glass system.

Phenol is a widely used synthetic organic compound, which according to global estimations, is discharged into the environment at a rate of 10 tons/year through industrial waste. Phenol is a recalcitrant pollutant, and human exposure to water containing phenolic substances can lead to health issues. It has been found both in drinking water and wastewater.

Photocatalysis for arsenic removal from water: considerations for solar photocatalytic reactors.

The following work provides a perspective on the potential application of solar heterogeneous photocatalysis, which is a nonselective advanced oxidation process considered as a sustainable technology, to assist in arsenic removal from water, which is a global threat to human health. Heterogeneous photocatalysis can oxidize trivalent arsenic to pentavalent arsenic, decreasing its toxicity and easing its removal with other technologies, such as chemical precipitation and adsorption. Several lab-scale arsenic photocatalytic oxidation and diverse solar heterogeneous photocatalytic operations carried out in different reactor designs are analyzed.