Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Comparative analysis of UV-C/H2O2 and UV-A/TiO2 processes for the degradation of diclofenac in water

  • Published:
Reaction Kinetics, Mechanisms and Catalysis Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The study investigates the treatment of diclofenac (DCF), a pharmaceutical included in the first watch list of the European Water Framework Directive as a new potential priority substance in water. Since the conventional wastewater treatment technologies do not efficiently remove DCF, advanced treatment technologies capable of its complete removal or destruction of its biological activity, need to be evaluated and eventually employed. For that purpose, typical representatives of photooxidative and photocatalytic advanced oxidation processes were applied. The effectiveness of UV-C/H2O2 and UV-A/TiO2 were compared regarding DCF conversion and mineralization kinetics, water quality parameters for assessing biodegradability and toxicity. In spite of similar biodegradability profiles, the obtained results indicate different DCF degradation pathways, which are reflected in different profiles of toxicity towards Vibrio fischeri. The observed DCF conversion and mineralization kinetics revealed the benefits of UV-C/H2O2 process. However, lower toxicity favored the application of photocatalytic over photooxidative treatment for DCF removal.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Kummerer K (2008) Pharmaceuticals in the environment; sources, fate, effects and risks. Springer, Heidelberg

    Google Scholar 

  2. Perez-Estrada LA, Malato S, Gernjak W, Aguera A, Thurman EM, Ferrer I, Fernandez-Alba AR (2005) Photo-Fenton degradation of diclofenac: identification of main intermediates and degradation pathway. Environ Sci Technol 39:8300–8306

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Perez-Estrada LA, Maldonado MI, Gernjak W, Aguera A, Fernandez-Alba AR, Ballesteros MM, Malato S (2005) Decomposition of diclofenac by solar driven photocatalysis at pilot plant scale. Catal Today 101:219–226

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Calza P, Sakkas VA, Medana C, Baiocchi C, Dimou A, Pelizzetti E, Albanis T (2006) Photocatalytic degradation study of diclofenac over aqueous TiO2 suspensions. Appl Catal B 67:197–205

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Yu H, Nie E, Xu J, Yan S, Cooper WJ, Song W (2013) Degradation of diclofenac by advanced oxidation and reduction processes: kinetic studies, degradation pathways and toxicity assessments. Water Res 47:1909–1918

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Manu B, Mahamood R (2012) Degradation kinetics of diclofenac in water by Fenton’s oxidation. J Sustain Energ Environ 3:173–176

    Google Scholar 

  7. Martín J, Camacho-Muñoz D, Santos JL, Aparicio I, Alonso E (2012) Occurrence of pharmaceutical compounds in wastewater and sludge from wastewater treatment plants: removal and ecotoxicological impact of wastewater discharges and sludge disposal. J Hazard Mater 239–240:40–47

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Verlicchi P, Al Aukidy M, Zambello E (2012) Occurrence of pharmaceutical compounds in urban wastewater: removal, mass load and environmental risk after a secondary treatment—a review. Sci Total Environ 429:123–155

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Tang WZ (2004) Physicochemical treatment of hazardous wastes. CRC Press, Lewis, Boca Raton

    Google Scholar 

  10. Beltran FJ (2003) Photocatalytic degradation of pollutants in water and air: basic concepts and applications. In: Tarr MA (ed) Chemical degradation methods for wastes and pollutants, environmental and industrial applications. Marcel Dekker, Inc, New York

    Google Scholar 

  11. Litter MI, Candal RJ, Meichtry JM (2014) Advanced oxidation technologies: sustainable solutions for environmental treatments. CRC Press, Taylor and Francis, London

    Google Scholar 

  12. Pichat P (2013) Photocatalysis and water purification: from fundamentals to recent applications. Wiley, Weinheim

    Book  Google Scholar 

  13. Radanovic T, Brlenic V, Rembacz M, Juretic D, Kusic H, Lavrencic Stangar U, Loncaric Bozic A (2014) Degradation of diclofenac by photo-AOPs; photooxidation versus photocatalysis. Book of abstracts of 20th international conference on advanced oxidation technologies for treatment of water, air and soil, November 16–20, 2014, San Diego, p 135

  14. Farré MJ, Franch MI, Ayllón JA, Peral J, Domènech X (2007) Biodegradability of treated aqueous solutions of biorecalcitrant pesticides by means of photocatalytic ozonation. Desalination 211:22–33

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Clesceri LS, Greenberg AE, Eaton AD (1998) Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater treatment, 20th edn. APHA & AWWA & WEF, Denver

    Google Scholar 

  16. EU, (2013) Directive 2013/39/EU of the European parliament and of the council amending directives 2000/60/EC and 2008/105/EC as regards priority substances in the field of water policy. Off J Eur Commun 226:1–17

    Google Scholar 

  17. Pichat P (2003) Photocatalytic degradation of pollutants in water and air: basic concepts and applications. In: Tarr MA (ed) Chemical degradation methods for wastes and pollutants, environmental and industrial applications. Marcel Dekker, Inc, New York

    Google Scholar 

  18. Juretic D, Kusic H, Dionysiou DD, Rasulev B, Loncaric Bozic A (2014) Modeling of photooxidative degradation of aromatics in water matrix; combination of mechanistic and structural-relationship approach. Chem Eng J 257:229–241

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Gaya UI (2014) Heterogeneous photocatalysis using inorganic semiconductor solids. Springer, Heidelberg

    Book  Google Scholar 

  20. Juretic D, Kusic H, Dionysiou DD, Loncaric Bozic A (2013) Environmental aspects of photooxidative treatment of phenolic compounds. J Hazard Mater 262:377–386

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Kalinski I, Juretic D, Kusic H, Peternel I, Loncaric Bozic A (2014) Structural aspects of degradation of sulfoaromatics by UV/H2O2 process. J Photochem Photobiol A 293:1–11

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Liu B, Zhao X (2014) Kinetic study of the heterogeneous photocatalysis of porous nanocrystalline TiO2 assemblies using a continuous random walk simulation. Phys Chem Chem Phys 16:22343–22351

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Krebel M, Kušić H, Koprivanac N, Meixner J, Loncaric Bozic A (2011) Treatment of chlorophenols by UV-based processes: correlation of oxidation by-products, wastewater parameters and toxicity. J Environ Eng 137(7):639–649

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Milovac N, Juretic D, Kusic H, Dermadi J, Loncaric Bozic A (2014) Photooxidative degradation of aromatic carboxylic acids in water; influence of hydroxyl substituents. Ind Eng Chem Res 53(26):10590–10598

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Borja J, Taleon DM, Auresenia J, Gallardo S (2005) Polychlorinated biphenyls and their biodegradation. Process Biochem 40:1999–2013

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Pulgarin C, Adler N, Peringer P, Comninellis C (1994) Electrochemical detoxification of 1,4-benzoquinone solution in wastewater treatment. Water Res 28(4):887–893

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. State Office for Waters (2001) Directive on amendments of regulations for limit values of hazardous substances and other indicators in wastewater. The Official Gazette 6 (January 24 2001)

  28. EEC (1993) Commission directive 93/67/EEC of 20 July 1993 laying down the principles for the assessment of risks to man and the environment of substances notified in accordance with council directive 67/548/EEC. Off J Eur Commun 227:9–17

    Google Scholar 

  29. Calza P, Massolino C, Pelizzetti E (2008) Photo-induced transformation of hexaconazole and dimethomorph over TiO2 suspension. J Photochem Photobiol A 200:356–363

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Calza P, Massolino C, Pelizzetti E, Minero C (2008) Solar driven production of toxic halogenated and nitroaromatic compounds in natural seawater. Sci Total Environ 398(1–3):196–202

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We gratefully acknowledge the financial support from Croatian Science Foundation (Project No. UIP-2013-7900).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, University of Zagreb, Marulicev trg 19, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia

    Daria Juretic Perisic, Marin Kovacic, Hrvoje Kusic & Ana Loncaric Bozic

  2. Laboratory for Environmental Research, University of Nova Gorica, Vipavska 13, 5000, Nova Gorica, Slovenia

    Urska Lavrencic Stangar

  3. EnCor Biotechnology, 4949 SW 41st Blvd S40, Gainesville, FL, 32608, USA

    Vedrana Marin

Authors
  1. Daria Juretic Perisic
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Marin Kovacic
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Hrvoje Kusic
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Urska Lavrencic Stangar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Vedrana Marin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Ana Loncaric Bozic
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hrvoje Kusic.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Perisic, D.J., Kovacic, M., Kusic, H. et al. Comparative analysis of UV-C/H2O2 and UV-A/TiO2 processes for the degradation of diclofenac in water. Reac Kinet Mech Cat 118, 451–462 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11144-016-1027-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11144-016-1027-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation