Photo-catalysis of bromacil under simulated solar light using Au/TiO2: evaluation of main degradation products and toxicity implications
2015
Angthararuk, Dusit | Sutthivaiyakit, Pakawadee | Blaise, Christian | Gagné, François | Sutthivaiyakit, Somyote
Bromacil (5-bromo-3-sec-butyl-6-methyluracil) is a substituted uracil herbicide used worldwide. It is not readily biodegradable and has the potential to contaminate different types of water bodies with possible impact on diverse non-target species. In this work, degradation of bromacil in aqueous Au/TiO₂suspension under simulated sunlight allowed fourteen degradation products to be identified. The photodegradation of bromacil followed (pseudo) first order kinetics in the presence of 0.2 g L⁻¹of Au/TiO₂with a half-life of 25.66 ± 1.60 min and a rate constant of 0.0271 ± 0.0023 min⁻¹. Transformation routes of the photo-catalytic degradation of bromacil were then proposed. Complementary toxicity assessment of the treated bromacil solution revealed a marked decrease in toxicity, thereby confirming that by-products formed would be less harmful from an environmental point of view. Photo-catalytic degradation of bromacil thus appears to hold promise as a cost-effective treatment technology to diminish the presence of this herbicide in aquatic systems.
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