Contamination and Carcinogenic Risks of Lead in Lip Cosmetics in China.

There are growing concerns about elevated lead (Pb) levels in lip cosmetics, yet in China, the largest lip cosmetic market, recent Pb contamination in lip cosmetics and associated Pb exposure remain unclear. Here, we measured Pb levels of 29 popular lip cosmetics in China and conducted the bioaccessibility-corrected carcinogenic risk assessments and sensitivity analysis regarding Pb exposure for consumers using Monte Carlo simulation. The Pb concentrations of collected samples ranged from undetectable (< 0.05 µg/kg) to 0.21 mg/kg, all of which were well below the Pb concentration limit set for cosmetics in China (10 mg/kg). The 50th percentile incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) of Pb in Chinese cosmetics (1.20E-07) was below the acceptable level (1E-06), indicating that the application of lip cosmetics and subsequent Pb exposure does not pose carcinogenic risks to consumers in most cases. The results of this study provide new insights into understanding the Pb risk in lip cosmetics.

Synthesis of Porous Activated Carbon Doped with Tetramethylammonium Hydroxide: Evaluation of Excellent Gasoline Vapor Adsorption Performance and Activation Mechanism.

The rapid urbanization and industrialization in China have led to an urgent dilemma for controlling urban air pollution, including the intensified emission of gasoline vapor into the atmosphere. Herein, we selected highland barley straw as a raw material and KOH and tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAOH) as activators to synthesize nitrogen-doped layered porous carbon (K-thAC) by a three-step activation method. The obtained K-thAC materials had a high specific surface area, reaching 3119 m2/g. Dynamic adsorption experiments demonstrated a superior adsorption capacity of up to 501 mg/g (K-thAC-25) for gasoline vapor compared with other documented carbon adsorbents. Moreover, adjusting the ratio of raw materials with a series of active ingredients could further improve the pore properties of the obtained K-thACs and their adsorption performance for gasoline vapor. Furthermore, the K-thAC materials were also characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), synchronous thermogravimetry (STA), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and nitrogen adsorption tests. This study synthesized a novel plant-based material to treat gasoline vapor pollution efficiently.

Bifunctional catalytic degradation of diclofenac over Cu-Pd co-modified sponge iron-based trimetal: Parameter optimization.

Currently, the pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) have posed great challenge to advanced oxidation techniques (AOTs). In this study, we decorated sponge iron (s-Fe0) with Cu and Pd (s-Fe0-Cu-Pd) and further optimized the synthesis parameters with a response surface method (RSM) to rapidly degrade diclofenac sodium (DCF). Under the RSM-optimized conditions of Fe: Cu: Pd = 100: 4.23: 0.10, initial solution pH of 5.13, and input dosage of 38.8 g/L, 99% removal of DCF could be obtained after 60 min of reaction. Moreover, the morphological structure of trimetal was characterized with high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS). Electron spin resonance (ESR) signals have also been applied to capture reactive hydrogen atoms (H*), superoxygen anions, hydroxyl radicals, and single state oxygen (1O2). Furthermore, the variations of DCF and its selective degradation products over a series of s-Fe0-based bi(tri)metals have been compared. Additionally, the degradation mechanism of DCF has also been explored. To our best knowledge, this is the first report revealing the selective dechlorination of DCF with low toxicity over Pd-Cu co-doped s-Fe0 trimetal.

Green Extractants in Assisting Recovery of REEs: A Case Study.

The recycling of REEs from the end of life (EoL) products, such as nickel metal hydride batteries (NiMH), offers great opportunities for their supply in Europe. In the presented paper, the application of 'green' extractants such as citric (CA), metatartaric (TA), and ethylenediaminedisuccinic acid (EDDS) (also with H2O2 addition) for the recovery of REEs was studied. The studies were conducted considering the effects of the phase contact time, the initial concentration of CA, TA, and EDDS, as well as H2O2, pH, and temperature. It was found that the addition of TA to the CA solution meant that higher rates of metal ion binding and, thus, leaching was observed. The optimal conditions were obtained in the system: CA-TA and H2O2 for the concentration 0.6M-0.3 M-2%.

New insight into fate and transport of organic compounds from pollution sources to aquatic environment using non-targeted screening: A wastewater treatment plant case study.

A variety of chemicals discharged into the aquatic environment by the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), which is a potential source of hazard to the ecological environment and human health. This study established a novel analytical method for all compounds using non-targeted screening to comprehensively explore the fate and transport of organic compounds from WWTP to aquatic environment. 3967 and 3636 features were detected in WWTP samples and river samples, respectively. Multi-level classification was applied to all identified compounds, and results showed that aliphatics were dominant in both abundance and response, accounting for an average of 35.49 % and 74.10 %, respectively. A total of 88 Emerging Contaminants (ECs), including 22 endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), 12 pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), 12 pesticides, 10 volatile organic compounds (VOCs), 5 persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and 27 chemicals with other uses, were identified from all compounds, and their traceability analysis was performed. Furthermore, the contribution rate of organic compounds from WWTP effluent to river was calculated to be 33.60 % by the analysis of source-sink relationship. An in-depth and comprehensive exploration of the fate and transport of all organic compounds will help to provide guidelines for the treatment technologies and achieve the traceability of pollutants.

Improved Soil Amendment by Integrating Metal Complexes and Biodegradable Complexing Agents in Superabsorbents.

The superabsorbents' application as materials for the preparation of modern mineral fertilizers of controlled activity is presented. Under the static conditions, the commercial acrylic-based Agro® Hydrogel was used as a sorbent for Cu(II), Fe(III), Mn(II), and Zn(II) ions in the presence of three biodegradable complexing agents of the new generation: (N-1,2-dicarboxyethyl)-D,L-aspartate acid (IDHA), N,N-ethylenediaminedisuccinic acid (EDDS) and N,N-bis(carboxymethyl) glutamic acid (GLDA). The ions and complexes concentrations were determined by the inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES). The characterization of hydrogel before and after the adsorption process was made using the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), surface area determination (ASAP), scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDS) as well as the thermogravimetric (TGA) methods. The influence of the phase contact time, initial concentration, and pH on the adsorption capacities was investigated. The kinetic and adsorption parameters were determined. The Langmuir, Freundlich, Dubinin-Radushkevich, and Temkin adsorption models were applied to describe the experimental data. The Langmuir isotherm model accurately characterized the equilibrium process. The adsorption process was fast, and it reached equilibrium after 60 min of the phase contact time. The research on the adsorption of Cu(II), Fe(III), Mn(II), and Zn(II) onto Agro® Hydrogel with IDHA, EDDS, and GLDA indicates that these complexing agents improve process efficiency.

Occurrence and Source Identification of Polychlorinated Dibenzo-p-dioxins and Dibenzofurans and Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Surface Sediments from Liangshui River in Beijing, China.

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans and polychlorinated biphenyls were measured in the surface sediments of Liangshui River, the second largest drainage river in Beijing, China. The sum concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans and polychlorinated biphenyls ranged from 3.5 to 3019 (mean value: 184) pg g-1 dry weight and from 319 to 5949 (mean value: 1958) pg g-1 dry weight, and the corresponding World Health Organization toxic equivalent quantity values were 0.0011-5.1 pg TEQ g-1 dry weight and 0.0074-1.4 pg TEQ g-1 dry weight, respectively. The spatial distributions of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans and polychlorinated biphenyls showed increasing trends from urban area and development area to suburb. Principal component analysis revealed that polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans contamination in the sediments may originate from pentachlorophenol and sodium pentachlorophenate and municipal solid waste incineration. Regarding polychlorinated biphenyls, the steel industry, combustion processes and usage of some commercial polychlorinated biphenyl products were identified as the major sources. The emission from a former steel plant could be the main contributor to polychlorinated biphenyls in urban areas. The mean value of the total toxic equivalent quantities in the sediment samples exceeded the Canadian interim sediment quality guidelines. Long-term wastewater irrigation increases the load of sediment-bound pollutants in agricultural soil and may pose potential ecological risks to crops and human health.

Synthesis of Ag-Cu co-doping sponge iron-based trimetal for boosting simultaneous degradation of combined pollutants.

To date, zero-valent iron (ZVI)-based technique has encountered a baffle, challenging simultaneous detoxification of refractory rhodamine B (RhB) and p-nitrophenol (PNP) possessing strong electronwithdrawing nitro-group. In this study, we synthesized Ag-Cu decorated sponge iron (s-Fe0)-based trimetal for simultaneous degradation of RhB and PNP. The results show that Cu-Ag co-doping s-Fe0 (s-Fe0-(Cu-Ag)) achieves approx. 90.6 % of maximized removal of RhB; the preferred s-Fe0-(5 wt%Cu-1 wt%Ag) assisted with 6 L/min aeration rate simultaneously declines RhB and PNP within 10 recycling tests; non-aeration process obtains a complete reduction of PNP as well as merely approx. 23.9 % removal of RhB. Moreover, the Cu-Ag microstructure covering s-Fe0-(Cu-Ag) has been characterized in detail. Furthermore, the electron spin resonance (ESR) spectra have been applied to investigate simultaneous generation of reactive oxygen species (ROSs) and hydrogen radicals ([H]abs) over s-Fe0-(Cu-Ag). To our best knowledge, this is the first study reporting the enhanced bifunctional catalysis of s-Fe0-(Cu-Ag)/O2 for simultaneous degradation of RhB and PNP.

Superabsorbents and Their Application for Heavy Metal Ion Removal in the Presence of EDDS.

Three acrylic-based superabsorbents-TerraHydrogel®Aqua (THA), Zeba®Hydrogel (ZH) and Agro®Hydrogel (AH) were used to investigate the influence of chemical conditions on kinetic and adsorption behavior towards metal ions in the presence of a chelating agent of a new generation called ethylenediamine-N,N'-disuccinic acid (EDDS). The effects of relevant parameters-mainly including those of sorbent dose, pH of the solution and initial concentration of Cu(II), Zn(II), Mn(II) and Fe(III) complexes with EDDS as well as phase contact time and temperature-on the adsorption efficiency were studied in detail by the static method. The experimental data were also characterized by kinetic and adsorption parameters obtained based on the Langmuir and Freundlich models of sorption as well as the Lagergren, Ho and McKay and Weber-Morris models.

Zeolite NaP1 Functionalization for the Sorption of Metal Complexes with Biodegradable N-(1,2-dicarboxyethyl)-D,L-aspartic Acid.

The possibility of application of chitosan-modified zeolite as sorbent for Cu(II), Zn(II), Mn(II), and Fe(III) ions and their mixtures in the presence of N-(1,2-dicarboxyethyl)-D,L-aspartic acid, IDHA) under different experimental conditions were investigated. Chitosan-modified zeolite belongs to the group of biodegradable complexing agents used in fertilizer production. NaP1CS as a carrier forms a barrier to the spontaneous release of the fertilizer into soil. The obtained materials were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR); surface area determination (ASAP); scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDS); X-ray fluorescence (XRF); X-ray diffraction (XRD); and carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen (CHN), as well as thermogravimetric (TGA) methods. The concentrations of Cu(II), Zn(II), Mn(II), and Fe(III) complexes with IDHA varied from 5-20 mg/dm3 for Cu(II), 10-40 mg/dm3 for Fe(III), 20-80 mg/dm3 for Mn(II), and 10-40 mg/dm3 for Zn(II), respectively; pH value (3-6), time (1-120 min), and temperature (293-333 K) on the sorption efficiency were tested. The Langmuir, Freundlich, Dubinin-Radushkevich, and Temkin adsorption models were applied to describe experimental data. The pH 5 proved to be appropriate for adsorption. The pseudo-second order and Langmuir models were consistent with the experimental data. The thermodynamic parameters indicate that adsorption is spontaneous and endothermic. The highest desorption percentage was achieved using the HCl solution, therefore, proving that method can be used to design slow-release fertilizers.

Detoxification of municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) fly ash by single-mode microwave (MW) irradiation: Addition of urea on the degradation of Dioxin and mechanism.

The detoxification of municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) fly ash dioxins urgently requires an effective treatment technology. In this study, we adopted a single-mode microwave (MW)-based pyrolysis to treat MSWI fly ash under N2 atmosphere and further elucidated the main influencing factors, including the chemical inhibitor, for dioxin control. The results show that (1) the detoxification process was optimized with a mass ratio of fly ash to SiC of 1:9, 23.1% (wt%) urea addition and pyrolysis temperature of ˜ 480 °C; (2) the total polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) destruction efficiency and the bioassay-derived 2,3,7,8-TCDD toxic equivalent (Bio-TEQ) removal efficiency reached 98.5% and 97.9%, respectively, accompanied with ˜ 1.3% of the total amount of dioxin being submitted to exhaust gas; (3) the MW-based pyrolysis of urea (133˜300 °C) was favourable for the generation of hot spots as well as the PCDD/F rapid destruction in fly ash. In addition, the leaching toxicity of heavy metals was also partially reduced after MW pyrolysis reactions. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report adopting a MW-based pyrolysis to eliminate dioxin in MSWI fly ash with the addition of urea, which is a promising alternative to current methods.

Environmental application of millimetre-scale sponge iron (s-Fe0) particles (IV): New insights into visible light photo-Fenton-like process with optimum dosage of H2O2 and RhB photosensitizers.

In this study, we firstly develop the photo-Fenton-like system with millimetric sponge iron (s-Fe0), H2O2, visible light (vis, λ≥420nm) and rhodamine B (RhB), and present a comprehensive study concerning the mechanism. Thus, we investigate (1) the adsorption of RhB onto s-Fe0, (2) the photo-Fenton-like removal of RhB over iron oxides generated from the corrosion of s-Fe0, (3) the homogeneous photo-Fenton removal of RhB over Fe2+ or Fe3+, (4) the Fe3+-RhB complexes, and (5) the photo-Fenton-like removal of tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA). The results show that neither the adsorption process over s-Fe0 nor the photo-Fenton-like process over FeOOH, Fe3O4 and Fe2O3, achieved efficient removal of RhB. For comparison, in homogeneous photo-Fenton process, the presence of Fe3+ ions, rather than Fe2+ ions, effectively eliminated RhB. Furthermore, the UV-vis spectra showing new absorbance at∼285nm indicate the complexes of RhB and Fe3+ ions, adopting vis photons to form excited state and further eject one electron via ligand-to-metal charge-transfer to activate H2O2. Additionally, efficient TBBPA removal was obtained only in the presence of RhB. Accordingly, the s-Fe0- based photo-Fenton-like process assisted with dyestuff wastewater is promising for removing a series of persistent organic pollutants.

Environmental application of millimetre-scale sponge iron (s-Fe(0)) particles (III): The effect of surface silver.

To enhance the dechlorination reactivity of millimetric sponge iron (s-Fe(0)), a facile one-pot method was used to decorate s-Fe(0) with Ag(+) ions under ambient conditions. The results recorded by X-ray diffraction patterns, X-ray photoelectron spectra and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy demonstrated that the growth of Ag(0) was dominated primarily by (111) plane with a mean length of ∼20 nm. The roles of Ag(0) loading, catalyst dosage, particle size, initial pH and contaminant concentration were assessed during the removal of pentachlorophenol (PCP). Catalyst recyclability was also studied. The results revealed that 3-5mm s-Fe(0) particles with 5 wt% Ag(0) loading exhibited the best performance with a dose of 3.0 g per 60 mL PCP solution. In addition, the dechlorination of PCP followed two-step, pseudo-first-order reaction kinetics, and Ag(0)-s-Fe(0) was advantageous compared with bimetals of nanoscale zero-valent iron, iron power and iron flakes. The dechlorination mechanism of PCP over Ag(0)-s-Fe(0) was attributed to the surface Ag(0) decoration, which catalyzed the formation of reactive hydrogen atoms for indirect reaction, and the direct electron transfer via Fe-Ag(0) galvanic cells for direct reaction. This suggests that Ag-based bimetals of s-Fe(0) have great potential in the pretreatment of organic halogen compounds in aqueous solution.

Environmental application of millimeter-scale sponge iron (s-Fe(0)) particles (II): the effect of surface copper.

To enhance the catalytic reactivity of millimeter-scale particles of sponge iron (s-Fe(0)), Cu(2+) ions were deposited on the surface of s-Fe(0) using a simple direct reduction reaction, and the catalytic properties of the bimetallic system was tested for removal of rhodamine B (RhB) from an aqueous solution. The influence of Cu(0) loading, catalyst dosage, particle size, initial RhB concentration, and initial pH were investigated, and the recyclability of the catalyst was also assessed. The results demonstrate that the 3∼5 millimeter s-Fe(0) particles (s-Fe(0)(3∼5mm)) with 5wt% Cu loading gave the best results. The removal of RhB followed two-step, pseudo-first-order reaction kinetics. Cu(0)-s-Fe(0) showed excellent stability after five reuse cycles. Cu(0)-s-Fe(0) possesses great advantages compared to nanoscale zero-valent iron, iron power, and iron flakes as well as its bimetals. The surface Cu(0) apparently catalyzes the production of reactive hydrogen atoms for indirect reaction and generates Fe-Cu galvanic cells that enhance electron transfer for direct reaction. This bimetallic catalyst shows great potential for the pre-treatment of recalcitrant wastewaters. Additionally, some oxides containing iron element are selected to simulate the adsorption process. The results prove that the adsorption process of FeOOH, Fe2O3 and Fe3O4 played minor role for the removal of RhB.

Environmental application of millimetre-scale sponge iron (s-Fe°) particles (I): pretreatment of cationic triphenylmethane dyes.

To investigate the removal capability of millimetric zero valent iron (mmZVI), sponge iron (s-Fe(0)) particles were characterized with XRD, XPS, TEM, HRSEM and EDS techniques. Moreover, the roles of particle size, catalyst dosage, dye concentration, mixing conditions (e.g. ultrasound (US), stirring or shaking), and regeneration treatment were studied with the removal of cationic triphenylmethane dyes. Notably, the reduction process was also revealed as compared to nanoscale zero valent iron (nZVI), microscale iron power, and iron scurf. Furthermore, the reductive mechanism was exemplified with brilliant green. The results demonstrated that (1) the synergetic effect between US and s-Fe(0) greatly enhanced the removal of dyes, (2) the dosage of preferred s-Fe(0) (1-3mm) particles was optimized as 30.0g/L; (3) reuse cycles of s-Fe(0) catalyst were enhanced with the assistance of diluted HCl solution; (4) the main degradation routes included the cleavage of conjugated structure reactions, N-de-ethylation reactions, hydroxylation reactions, the removal of benzene ring reactions, and opening ring reactions. Accordingly, the pretreatment of aqueous solution over s-Fe(0) was hypothesized to achieve mainly through direct reduction reaction by electron transfer and indirect reductive reactions by the highly activated hydrogen atom. Additionally, decoration with noble metals was utilized to reveal the reaction mechanism.

[Emission of PCDD/Fs from Crematories and Its Influencing Factors].

To analysis the influencing factors for the emssions of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) as structure of crematory, air pollution control device (APCD) and funeral objects, etc, we collected and measured the PCDD/Fs emissions in flue gas from 13 crematories in China. Then we proposed some supervision suggestions on measures of pollution control and management. The results indicated that the emission levels of PCDD/Fs (as the toxic equivalent concentration, TEQ) was ranged in a large gap from 0.027 to 15.8 ng x m(-3), and the average was 3.2 ng x m(-3). Emissions factor of PCDD/Fs (as TEQ) from 13 crematories varied between 45.9 and 22 236 ng x body(-1), and the average was 4 738 ng x body(-1). The emissions of PCDD/Fs from flat incinerators were generally lower, whereas higher ratio up to the national discharge standard, than that of car type incinerators. Congener distribution of PCDD/Fs in flue gas from 13 crematories were different from each other. Since the emission of PCDD/Fs from some crematories remains in high level, it is necessary to control pollution from the source, improve the pollution control technology, and strengthen government supervision, by following measures: 11 cremating funeral objects separately from corpse; 22 adding one

Could microwave induced catalytic oxidation (MICO) process over CoFe2O4 effectively eliminate brilliant green in aqueous solution?

In this study, we adopted the chemical co-precipitation (CP) method and sol-gel method followed by calcination at temperatures of 100-900°C for 12h to synthesize CoFe2O4 materials, which were further characterized by TEM, XRD and XPS techniques. The properties of CoFe2O4 materials were evaluated in a microwave (MW) induced catalytic oxidation (MICO) process for the elimination of brilliant green (BG). The results showed that: (1) the removal rates of BG gradually decreased over a series of CoFe2O4 materials prepared by CP method and calcinated with 100-700°C (except 900°C) for 12h within three reuse cycles; for comparison, no removal of BG was obtained over CoFe2O4 synthesized by sol-gel method and CoFe2O4-900 (CP); (2) no hydroxyl radicals were captured with salicylic acid used as molecular probe in the MICO process; (3) MW irradiation enhanced the release of residual NaOH within the microstructure of CoFe2O4 and further discolored BG, because BG is sensitive to pH; (4) granular activated carbon (GAC), an excellent MW-absorbing material possessing higher dielectric loss tangent compared to that of a series of CoFe2O4 materials, could not remove BG in suspensions at a higher efficiency, even if the loading amount was 20 g L(-1). Accordingly, MICO process over CoFe2O4 materials and GAC could not effectively eliminate BG in suspensions.

Synthesis of surface sulfated BiWO with enhanced photocatalytic performance.

Sulfated BiWO (SBiWO) was synthesized by an impregnation method to enhance the visible-light-driven photoactivities of BiWO (BiWO). The characterization results verified that sulfate anion mainly anchored on the catalyst surface greatly extended the visible-light-responsive range without destroying the crystal lattice. Moreover, the SBiWO-based photoactivities were evaluated with the removal of Malachite Green (MG) under UV-Vis irradiation emitted from two microwave-powered electrodeless discharge lamps (MPEDL2) and under visible light (lamda > 420 nm). The results demonstrated that the kinetic constant was increased 2.25 times, varying from 0.1478 (BiWO) to 0.3328 min(-1) (SBiWO-1). Similar results were also obtained for the visible light-driven reaction. Furthermore, radical scavengers such as t-butanol restricted the visible-light induced degradation of MG over BiWO and SBiWO-1. This indicated that the sulfating process increased the generation of reactive oxygen species, which was further verified by molecular probe with salicylic acid. Thus, more blue-shifting at lam = 618 nm was observed over SBiWO. On the basis of the above results, the photocatalytic mechanism over the sulfated catalyst was also discussed.

Effective photocatalytic degradation of atrazine over titania-coated carbon nanotubes (CNTs) coupled with microwave energy.

Microwave-assisted photocatalytic (MAPC) degradation of atrazine over nanotitania coated multiwalled carbon nanotubes (TiO(2)/MWCNTs) was investigated in this study. As a result, degradation efficiency of atrazine over TiO(2)/CNTs prepared by hydrothermal method was about 30% and 20% higher than that of titania P25 and anatase prepared hydrothermally in given time. The TiO(2)/CNTs composite samples were characterized by TGA-DSC, TEM, UV-vis DRS, XRD and BET, to explain the reason for efficient degradation and adsorption process of atrazine. Microwave thermal effect in this process was also investigated. Intermediates of degradation both in MAPC process and microwave-assisted photodegradation (MAPD) process were identified by LC/MS. It suggests that MWCNTs have special effects on atrazine degradation during MAPC process, like strong microwave absorption capability.

Photodegradation of crystal violet in TiO(2) suspensions using UV-vis irradiation from two microwave-powered electrodeless discharge lamps (EDL(-2)): products, mechanism and feasibility.

Aqueous crystal violet (CV) solutions containing P25-TiO(2) photocatalyst were irradiated with ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) light from two microwave-powered electrodeless discharge lamps (EDL(-2)). The results demonstrated that approximately 94.4% of CV was effectively removed after 3 min of irradiation, with a pseudo-first order kinetic constant of 0.838 min(-1). According to 32 kinds of products, a five-step degradation pathway of CV was proposed. Further investigations showed that (1) three kinds of N-demethylated products and 4-dimethylaminobenzophenone (DLBP) were the main intermediates; (2) malachite green (MG) and leuco-crystal violet could not be generated by N-demethylation and phototransformation reactions, respectively; (3) bis(4-(dimethylamino)phenyl)methanone preferentially generated via decomposition of the conjugated structure of CV could be further N-demethylated into DLBP. Moreover, the unique degradation pathways of CV and MG were ascribed to the different substituents on the conjugated structures. Additionally, the cost and kinetic constant of different processes was also evaluated, and the results indicated the feasibility of this method for treatment of CV in field situations.