EFFECT OF UV AND TRANSITION METALS FOR THE ACTIVATION OF OXIDANTS IN WATER

This study reports on the investigation of alternatives for the activation of common oxidants in water with the objective of treating water and industrial wastewater contaminated with organic and potentially carcinogenic compounds. More specifically, the use of ultraviolet radiation (UV) at 254 nm, the addition of transition metals (M) such as Fe, Co and Ag, as well as their combination (UV/M) have been evaluated for the activation of three common oxidants (Ox) and the destruction of a model organic contaminant in water. The novel oxidation technologies reported here are expected to provide new tools for the treatment of specialty wastewater (i.e, paper and pulp, photographic, automotive, nuclear) where the presence of metals (i.e, Mn, Fe, Cu, Ag, Ni, Co) can be exploited for the treatment of other harmful compounds that are copresent.