Copper cable doped with tin oxide and its application to photodegrade natural organic matters.

Natural organic matters are of particular importance in drinking water treatment due to their reaction with chlorine, and formation of disinfection byproducts that cause cancer in humans. Photocatalysis can remove natural organic matters from water but usually powdery photocatalysts are used which should be separated from water by filtration due to their toxic effects. In this work, a piece of copper cable used in electric industries was doped with tin oxide and applied as a photocatalyst to remove natural organic matters, humic acid and humate liquid fertilizer, from water.