UV photodegradation of phenolic aldehydes present in industrial wastewaters. II. Simultaneous degradation of a mixture

Abstract

The simultaneous photodegradation of four phenolic aldehydes by a polychromatic UV radiation was studied in a batch reactor. These phenolic substances, protocatechuic aldehyde (3,4‐dihydroxybenzaldehyde), p‐hydroxybenzaldehyde, syringaldehyde (4‐hydroxy‐3,5‐dimethoxybenzaldehyde) and vanillin aldehyde (4‐hydroxy‐3‐methoxy benzaldehyde), were selected because of they are major pollutants contained in wastewaters produced in some agro‐industrial plants. The degradation levels obtained are reported and the influences of the operating variables, temperature and pH, are established. Also, the quantum yields for the photoreaction of each individual aldehyde are evaluated by means of a competitive kinetic method, and correlated as a function of the temperature.

Key words:

• Phenolic aldehydes
• polychromatic UV radiation
• photochemical degradation
• competitive kinetics

Notes

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