Photocatalytic degradation of agricultural antibiotics using a UV-LED light source

Abstract

With a view to developing a UV-LED photocatalytic reactor for small and remote water systems, the degradation of three representative agriculturally produced contaminants, two antibiotics and an endocrine disruptor hormone, was evaluated in a bench 365 nm LED photoreactor using a slurry of the well-known Degussa P25® (TiO₂) as photocatalyst. Use of an additional electron capture additives O₂ and H₂O₂ was also assessed. Loss of the parent organic compounds was tracked by HPLC or UV absorbance and mineralization, where feasible, was studied with TOC analysis with conventional instrumentation. In all cases, degradation is significant with moderate light dose. Lab data suggest log reduction with light delivery less than 2.2 kWhr per cubic meter light delivery.

Keywords:

• Agricultural antibiotics
• drinking water
• photocatalysis
• LED light sources

Acknowledgments

We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of NSERC through RES’EAU WaterNet.