Photocatalytic Destruction of Water Pollutants Using A Tio2 Film Inpet Bottles
Photocatalytic Destruction of Water Pollutants Using A Tio2 Film Inpet Bottles
PET BOTTLES
Manuel Heredia
John Duffy
Energy Engineering Program, University of Massachusetts Lowell
[email protected]
[email protected]
Polyethylene terephtalate (know as PET) is a material used The most common reaction is the recombination of
in the manufacturing of plastic bottles and contains electrons and holes on the surface of the catalyst, reducing
stabilizers that protect the plastic against the UV effects. the quantum efficiency of the process (Bandala, Arancibia-
Due to its low weight, transmissivity of UV-A radiation and Bulnes, Orosio & Estrada, 2004).
( )
chemical stability, it is preferred as the material for SODIS
treatment. PET can be used as bottles or as plastic bags. TiO2 ⋅ ecb− + holevb+ ⎯recomb
⎯⎯→ TiO2 + heat (3)
2.2. Advanced Oxidation Process-TiO2 Other electrons can react with reducible species such as
oxygen molecules. Positives holes can oxidize species
Titanium dioxide (TiO2), also know as titania, is a catalyst reducing the possibility of recombination (Son, Lee, Cho
used in the advanced oxidation process in water and Lu; 2004)
disinfection. It has been tested for the reduction of
hazardours organic chemicals and some inorganic pollutants The reactions that yield additional hydroxyl radicals may
(Bissen, Vieillard-Baron, Schindelin and Frimmel, 2001). It continue with other reactions. The hydroxyl radical is a very
is available in three different crystalline structures: anatase, powerful oxidizing agent which can oxidize organic
rutile and brokite. For photocatalytic purposes just anatase pollutants, directly or through intermediate compounds
and rutile are used because of their optical properties, (Goswami; 2001).
opacity and durability. Although rutile TiO2 has been
considered as photocatalytically inactive, it has been found 2.4. Factors Affecting UV Inactivation
that Degussa P-25, a commercial photocatalyst that has a
proportion anatase/rutile of 3-4, has the best performance in 2.4.1. pH and Temperature
photocatalysis (Sun and Smimioti,2003). In the case of
bacteria inactivation, It seems that the different For bacteria, the rate of disinfection is considered
characteristic of TiO2, such as the surface area and the independent from pH values, if it does not change
particle size, do not influence their bacterial inactivation drastically during the process (Rincon & Pulgarin; 2003).
efficiencies (Gummy, Rincon, Hadju and Pulgarin, 2005). Cho, Chung, Choi and Yoon (2004) established that when
pH varies from 5 to 9, reaction rates could be considered
2.3. TiO2 Photocatalytic Reactions independent of this characteristic. In the case of the effect of
temperature effects on bacteria disinfection, it was found
When a photon is absorbed by a material, an electron is that they are more susceptible to oxidative radicals at higher
released. In order to do that, the energy of the photon should temperatures (Cho et al.; 2004), where each microorganism
be greater than the bandgap of the material. Then, if the has its own resistance to the chemicals.
resultant electrons and positive holes react with the
surrounding molecules causing chemical reactions, a Temperature has also its own germicidal effect by itself.
photoreaction takes place (Goswami et al., 2000). Fujikawa, Ushioda and Kudo (1992) assumed that the effect
of temperature over bacteria can be described for a first oxygen concentration, temperature and any factor that could
order expression: interfere with the catalyst reaction.
dC 3.1.Langmuir-Hinshelwood Model
− = k (T ) ⋅ C (4)
dt The Langmuir-Hinshelwood model has been used to
describe several kinetic processes with good accuracy,
k (T ) is constant rate that is function of temperature. especially with chemical pollutants. This model has the
following relationship (Goswami, 2000):
2.4.2.Dissolved Oxygen
dC K 1 ⋅ K 2 ⋅ C
− = (6)
Bactericidal action of sunlight on water is dependent on the
amount of molecular oxygen (O2) dissolved in water. TiO2
dt (1 + K 2 C )
photoreacts with oxygen contented in O2 and H2O, therefore
the lack of sufficient supply of oxygen would reduce the Where C is the concentration of contaminant solutate in
reaction rates (Sagawe, Brandi, Bahnemann & water, K1 is the reaction constant, and K2 is the equilibrium
Cassano,2005); although photoreactions have been observed adsorption constant. When C tends to be 0 (low
under absence of dissolved oxygen . concentration), the expression (6) can be simplified as:
k ' = k r C OX (13)
A× I
C OX = kφ ⋅ aT , 0 ⋅ (14)
k OX ⋅ VL
The curve that represents time of disinfection at 56 W/m2 of 4.1.5 Storage Time and Recontamination
UV radiation, which is the one that correspond to 1000
W/m2 of total solar radiation, shows that the time needed to In order to test the storage time for this technology, the
disinfect water that contains 1 cell of E. coli per milliliter is same water sample with high bacteria concentration (+
approximately 30 minutes, which is still a long period if we 1000/100ml) was tested in two different bottles: one was
consider the low bacteria concentration and the high UV coated with TiO2 and the other one was not coated. The
radiation. bottles were exposed to low solar radiation (winter season –
cloudy day) for few hours. After both bottles were tested, it
4.1.4 Effect of TiO2 Concentration in Coating Film was found that both sample contaminations were below the
threshold of the test (1000/100ml).After two days of dark
period (no exposure to sun), the results showed that the
bottle with TiO2 was keeping the low bacteria concentration
meanwhile the concentration of bacteria in the non-coated
bottle went back over the threshold (+ 1000/100ml).
We obtain the following simulation results for March: The simulations were performed using 8.00 a.m. as the
initial time for exposure, which means that during the first
hours, the accumulation of UV dose was slow. If the
exposure starts at noon, the time will be reduced to an hour
because of disinfection will take the advantages of the
higher radiation and the consequent faster UV dose
accumulation.
During the high radiation season, simple solar disinfection According to the results obtained in the storage time test,
takes more 4 and a half hours, while disinfection using recontamination in simple SODIS bottles was observed
coated bottles takes almost 3 hours making the process during dark conditions when water disinfection occurs under
faster by more than 90 minutes. Although it means a saving low radiation. It means that effective bacterial inactivation
of time, the required time for disinfection is still long if it is was not reached. In the other hand, TiO2 coated bottles do
compared with the use of chlorine or other water not present recontamination signal as stable bacteria
concentrations were observed during more than a week.
Safe handling of HClO4 and the tedious work required to (5)Malato, S., Cassady, J., Reed, R. H. and McGuigan,
coat the bottles (in order to avoid the formation of bubbles K.G.(2004), A novel TiO2-assisted solar photocatalytic
on the film surface) makes this process, although simple, batch-process disinfection reactor for the treatment of
not recommended for non trained people. This process could biological and chemical contaminants in domestic drinking
be recreated in the villages by medical technicians who have water in developing countries, Solar Energy,77, pp.649-675
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dangerous to handle. (7) Goswami, Y., Kreith F. and Kreider J.,(2000), Principles
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Before the use of SODIS or TiO2 in any location, 2000
measurement of contaminants concentrations is needed to (8) Gumy, D., Rincon, A. G., Hajdu, R. and Pulgarin,
ensure that they can be removed with the process to be C.,(2005), Solar photocatalysis for detoxification and
utilized. In the case of arsenic, it is important to know if the disinfection of water: Different types of suspended and
water contains enough Iron (III) to react with arsenate. fixed TiO2 catalysts study, Sciencedirect. Retrieved
November 15, 2005, from http://www.sciencedirect.com
The quality and durability of the TiO2 on the bottles depend (9) Fujikawa H., Ushioda H. and Kudo Y., (1992), Kinetics
on quality of the work performed in the coating process. of escheria coli destruction by microwave irradiation,
Some bottles have not shown signs of TiO2 film Applied and Enviromental Microbiology, Mar.1992, pp.
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photooxidation , Water Science Tech., 33(3, pp. 111-118)
Although water purified by TiO2 has not shown signs of (11)Litter, M. I., Blesa, M. A., Hidalgo, M., Apella, M. C.,
recontamination in more than a week, it is recommended to Jardim, W. F., Guimarães, J.R., Mansilla, H. D., Cornejo,
drink water soon anyway. Bad handling of the bottles (open L., Leal, M. T., Jiménez, A. E., Rodríguez, J. and Saunders,
the bottles and drink some water or touch the interior of the R., (2005), Solar energy based water potabilizationa: Low-
bottle with hands) can definitely change this time. As a cost technologies for isolated regions of Latin America and
general recommendation, if the water is not going to be the Caribbean. Unpublished manuscript, Comisión
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cost TiO2 photocatalytic technology for water potabilization
In general, the TiO2 approach is very promising for remote in plastic bottles for isolated regions. photocatalyst fixation,
areas for destruction of a variety of contaminants in, and Retrieved September 05, 2005, from Comisión Nacional de
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that recycled bottles can be used. Additional research is pura/publicaciones/sol-05-1097.pdf
needed to refine the process and to test for maximum (13)Rincon, A. and Pulgarin, C., (2004) Field solar E.coli
storage times. inactivation in the absence and presence of TiO2: Is UV
solar dose an appropriate parameter for standardization of
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