Photocatalytic degradation of geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol (MIB), which are two taste and odour compounds commonly found in drinking water supply sources, was investigated using an immobilised TiO2 photoreactor. It was found that the degradation of geosmin and MIB followed similar pseudo-first-order kinetics with reaction rate constants being approximately 0.025 min−1 for typical geosmin and MIB concentrations of 250 and 500 ng/L. The normalised formal quantum efficiency was calculated to be in the range of 162–182 L/mol. Influence of additives (i.e. sodium bicarbonate and alcohols) on the degradation process was also investigated. It was found that there was a small reduction in the degradation rate constants of geosmin and MIB with increasing sodium bicarbonate concentration. At 50 mg/L sodium bicarbonate the degradation rate constants decreased by approximately 5%. Similarly, for methanol and ethanol concentrations up to 35 and 50 mg/L, respectively, these constants were found to also decrease. While addition of sodium bicarbonate and alcohols was seen to have relatively small negative effects on the photocatalytic degradation performance, the magnitude of their influence was consistent with the hypothesis that the degradation mechanism of geosmin and MIB was predominately that of attack involving HO∙ radicals.
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Research Article|
December 01 2009
Photocatalytic removal of taste and odour compounds for drinking water treatment
H. Tran;
1School of Engineering, University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan NSW, 2308, Australia E-mail: Hoangnguyen.tran@studentmail.newcastle.edu.au; Geoffrey.evans@newcastle.edu.au
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G. M. Evans;
G. M. Evans
1School of Engineering, University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan NSW, 2308, Australia E-mail: Hoangnguyen.tran@studentmail.newcastle.edu.au; Geoffrey.evans@newcastle.edu.au
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Y. Yan;
Y. Yan
2Hunter Water Australia Pty Ltd, PO Box 5007, HRMC, NSW, 2310, Australia E-mail: Yaode.yan@hwa.com.au
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A. V. Nguyen
A. V. Nguyen
3Division of Chemical Engineering, University of Queensland, Brisbane QLD, 4072, Australia E-mail: Anh.nguyen@eng.uq.edu.au
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Water Supply (2009) 9 (5): 477–483.
Citation
H. Tran, G. M. Evans, Y. Yan, A. V. Nguyen; Photocatalytic removal of taste and odour compounds for drinking water treatment. Water Supply 1 December 2009; 9 (5): 477–483. doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/ws.2009.637
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