Degradation of biotansformation products of nonylphenol ethoxylates by ozonation and UV/TiO₂ treatment

The degradation kinetics of biotransformation products of nonylphenol polyethoxylates (NPEOs), nonylphenol (NP), nonylphenol monoethoxylate (NP1EO) and nonylphenoxy carboxylic acid (NP1EC), by ozonation and UV/TiO₂ (ultraviolet photocatalytic degradation in the presence of titanium dioxide suspension as a catalyst) were investigated using lab-scale reactors. The degradation rate of NP by UV/TiO₂ was the highest among the tested NPEOs metabolites, while NP1EC showed the lowest degradation rate. In contrast, ozonation was especially effective for the breakdown of NP1EC. NP could be also degraded efficiently by ozonation, however, it was much less effective for NP1EO decomposition. Degradation of NP by both chemical oxidation processes followed first-order kinetics. The degradation curves of NP1EO and NP1EC could be approximately described by first-order kinetics also, although the degradation of NP1EC by ozonation seemed to follow a second-order kinetic.