Photocatalytic Reduction of Cr(VI) in the Presence of Humic Acid Using Immobilized Ce-ZrO2 under Visible Light.

Cr(VI) has several industrial applications but it is one of the most dangerous pollutants because of its carcinogenicity and high toxicity. Thus, the removal of Cr(VI) by photocatalytic reduction was investigated. The catalyst applied, Ce-ZrO2, was immobilized, through a sol-gel process on a silicon carbide (SiC) support, to increase the efficiency and avoid using suspended nanoparticles. The influence of initial pH, humic acid (HA), and catalyst dosage was investigated for Cr(VI) containing solutions. Then, a real galvanizing industry effluent (Cr(VI) = 77 mg L-1mg.L-1, Zn = 1789 mg L-1) was treated. It was observed that Cr(VI) adsorption and photoreduction are greatly favored at low pH values. HA can decrease Cr(VI) adsorption but also acts as holes scavenger, reducing the electron-hole recombination, favoring then the photoreduction. With the immobilized Ce-ZrO2, more than 97% of Cr(VI) was removed from the diluted effluent. These results indicate the feasibility to treat Cr(VI) effluents even in the presence of other metals and natural organic matter. The developed material has great chemical and mechanical resistances and avoids the use of nanoparticles, dangerous for the environment and hard to recover. Moreover, solar light can be used to drive the process, which contributes to the development of more sustainable, cleaner, and cost-effective wastewater treatments.

Control of Membrane Fouling in Organics Filtration Using Ce-Doped Zirconia and Visible Light.

Membrane fouling has been a major issue in the development of more efficient water treatment processes. Specifically in surface waters filtration, organic matter, such as humic-like substances, can cause irreversible fouling. Therefore, this study evaluates the activity of a photocatalytic layer composed of Ce-doped zirconia nanoparticles in improving the fouling resistance during filtration of an aqueous solution of humic acid (HA). These nanoparticles were prepared by hydrothermal and sol-gel processes and then characterized. Before the filtration experiments, the photodegradation of HA catalyzed by Ce-doped zirconia nanoparticles in dispersion was studied. It was observed that the sol-gel prepared Ce-ZrO2 exhibited higher HA removal in practically neutral pH, achieving 93% efficiency in 180 min of adsorption in the dark followed by 180 min under visible-light irradiation using light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Changes in spectral properties and in total organic carbon confirmed HA degradation and contributed to the proposal of a mechanism for HA photodegradation. Finally, in HA filtration tests, Ce-ZrO2 photocatalytic membranes were able to recover the flux in a fouled membrane using visible-light by degrading HA. The present findings point to the further development of anti-fouling membranes, in which solar light can be used to degrade fouling compounds and possibly contaminants of emerging concern, which will have important environmental implications.