{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.03155339805825243, 'fraction_numerical': 0.010517799352750809, 'mean_word_length': 5.343589743589743, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 0, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
Photocatalytic Oxidation of Organic Micro-Pollutants: Pilot Plant Investigation and Mechanistic Aspects of the Degradation Reaction

An innovative pilot plant based on UVB and TiO2 (Anatase) allowed for photocatalytic degradation of organic micro-pollutants. The catalyst was immobilized onto a channel through which the solution containing a target molecule (methylene blue, MB) was re-circulated. Due to the cationic nature of the MB substrate, the adsorption reaction onto the catalyst surface provided a significant contribution to the overall degradation mechanism due to the negatively charged surface at neutral pH (TiO2 pHzpc = 6.8). The influence of the initial MB concentration was investigated in the range 0.3–2.0 mg L−1 with the Langmuir–Hinshelwood (LH) model showing good data correlations at concentrations up to 0.7 mg L−1, whereas at higher concentrations a pure zero-order (catalytic) kinetic trend was observed. Flow rate of the re-circulating solution sensibly influenced kinetics after the larger volumes of liquid exposed to UVB/TiO2 and to the better oxygen saturation in the liquid phase. UV−vis and HPLC-MS/MS experimental determinations allowed for identification of MB residual concentration and by-products.