Experiments were performed to investigate the effect of operating parameters on the photodegradation efficiency of paraquat in a TiO2-suspended photoreactor with immersed UV lamps. TiO2 particles were prepared by a hydrothermal method. The removal rate of paraquat in the reactor was 0.54 mg/l/h with only air-sparging. The removal rate in 24 h with both the UV radiation and air-sparging was 50% higher than that with only the UV radiation. Variations of the paraquat concentration at the UV intensities of 4 and 8W/m2 decreased slowly with time, but that at 12W/m2 decreased more rapidly. The removal efficiency at the air-sparging flow rate of 1 l/min increased as a UV light intensity increased. pH value in the reactor at the UV intensity of 12W/m2 decreased with time until 12 h and then increased with time over 12 h.
Davis AP, "Photocatalytic Oxidation of Organic Contaminants in Process Engineering for Pollution Control and Waste Minimization," Marcel Dekker Inc., New York, U.S.A., 377, 1994
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Valladares JE, "A New Photocatalytic Reactor for the Photodegradation of Organic Contaminants in Water," Ph.D. Thesis, Western Ontario University, Canada, 1995