The photocatalytic degradation of aqueous linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) was studied. Two different photocatalysts, Degussa P25 TiO2 and Hombikat UV 100 TiO2, were used to degrade aqueous linear alkylbenzene sulfonate in slurry batch photoreactors. For a 100 mg/L LAS solution based on first–order rate constants, the optimum photocatalyst loading for Degussa P25 TiO2 was 4.0 g/L, while for Hombikat UV 100 TiO2 it was 2.0 g/L. The photoactivity of Degussa P25 TiO2 it was higher than that of Hombikat UV 100 TiO2 for the treatment of LAS. A mixture of both photocatalysts did not improve the LAS degradation rates in batch experiments. Combination of Degussa P25 TiO2 and 600 mg/L H2O2 along with irradiation with UV light at either 254 or 365 nm did not improve the LAS degradation rates over the photocatalytic or photolytic processes individually.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The financial support of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) for this project is gratefully acknowledged.