Photo-Fenton and TiO₂ Photocatalytic Inactivation of Model Microorganisms under UV-A; Comparative Efficacy and...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Water Treatment
• Photocatalysis

Background:

• Pathogen inactivation in aqueous waste is crucial.
• Fenton's reagent (homogeneous) and TiO2 (heterogeneous) are established photocatalysts.
• Comparative studies are needed to determine optimal methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare TiO2- and Fe+3-based photocatalysis for microorganism inactivation.
• To optimize TiO2 photocatalysis parameters.
• To establish efficient protocols for liquid biomedical waste treatment.

Main Methods:

• Comparative study of homogeneous (Fe+3) and heterogeneous (TiO2) photocatalysis.
• Testing inactivation of bacteria, spores, and viruses under UV-A.
• Optimization of TiO2 catalyst concentration and H2O2 supplementation.

Main Results:

• Both photo-Fenton and TiO2 effectively inactivated microorganisms.
• Homogeneous photocatalysis achieved faster inactivation than standard heterogeneous TiO2.
• Optimized heterogeneous TiO2 with H2O2 supplementation showed comparable or faster inactivation rates.

Conclusions:

• Photocatalysis offers viable solutions for microbial load management in liquids.
• Homogeneous photocatalysis is faster under standard conditions.
• Optimized heterogeneous TiO2 photocatalysis provides efficient pathogen inactivation, suitable for large-scale applications.