The Olive Mill Wastewater Decontamination with Photocatalysis Based on Tio2: Effect of Operational Parameters
Résumé
ABSTRACT: This work aims to obtain treated olive mill wastewater (OMW) that can be used in other processes such as irrigation in agricultural production. The oxidative degradation and adsorption kinetics of the OMW were investigated by means of photo-catalysis in the presence of TiO2. The UV irradiation was chosen for this reaction rather than visible light since it eliminated 97% of the color versus 40 % with visible. It was also capable of reducing total organic carbon (TOC) and total phenolic compounds (TPhC) sufficiently after 4h of treatment. The extent of photocatalytic degradation increased with increasing TiO2 concentration up to 1 g/L, above which degradation rate declined. Furthermore, the OMW treatment didn’t require a pH value adjustment; whereas it was enhanced with the addition of hydrogen peroxide. The catalyst activity on repeated use was evaluated and after four successive cycles, its efficiency was maintained. Various commercial photocatalysts were tested and compared for OMW degradation efficiency.