2011•Advanced materials researchOpen access

Photocatalytic Degradation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons on Soil Surfaces Using Fe2O3 under UV Light

Li Hong Zhang, Nan Jia, Cheng Bin Xu, Xue Mei Li

Abstract

The photocatalytic degradation of phenanthrene (PHE), pyrene (PYRE) and benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) on soil surfaces in the presence of Fe2O3 using ultraviolet (UV) light source was investigated. The effects of various factors, namely Fe2O3, soil pH, and humic acid, on the degradation performance of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were studied. The results show that photocatalytic degradation of PAHs follows the pseudo-first-order kinetics. Catalyst Fe2O3 accelerated the photodegradation of PHE, PYRE and BaP significantly. In acidic or alkaline conditions, the photocatalytic degradation rates of the PAHs were greater than those in neutral conditions. Humic acid significantly enhanced the PAH photocatalytic degradation by sensitizing radicals capable of oxidizing PAHs.

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Key concepts: Phenanthrene, Pyrene, Photodegradation, Oxidizing agent, Photocatalysis, Degradation (telecommunications), Chemistry, Humic acid