Combined Application of Ultrasound with Ultraviolet Light

4 Combined Application of Ultrasound with Ultraviolet Light 

There are a few reports on the combined application of ultrasound and ultraviolet light (UV) for the destruction of chemical pollutants. A study of the oxidation of humic acid and trihalomethane precursors with ozone revealed that the most effective destruction of the organic carbon compounds was achieved when both uv and ultrasound were used in combination with ozonation [35]. In other cases e. g. the removal of 1,1,1-tri-chloroethane from aqueous solutions, the combined application of ultrasound and UV proved to be more efficient than the use of either technique individually [36]. 

Photochemical decomposition can also be carried out in the presence of a suspension of photoactive material such as Ti02 where substrate absorption onto the uv activated surface can initiate chemical reactions e. g. the oxidation of sulphides to sul-phones and sulphoxides [37]. This technology has been adapted to the destruction of polychlorobiphenyls (PCB s) in wastewater and is of considerable interest in environmental protection. Using pentachlorophenol as a model substrate in the presence of 0.2 % TiOj uv irradiation is relatively efficient in dechlorination (Tab. 4.5) [38]. When ultrasound is used in conjunction with photolysis, dechlorination is dramatically improved. This improvement is the result of three mechanical effects of sonochemistry namely surface cleaning, particle size reduction and increased mass transport to the powder surface. 

A similar combination of ultrasound and photocatalysis has also been reported to destroy 2,4,6-trichlorophenol in aqueous solution [39]. An ultrasonic probe (22 kHz) with a uv light source (15 W) was used to examine the effect of changing such operating conditions as ultrasonic intensity, reaction temperature and uv transmission. The experiments involved using 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (100 ppm) and TiOj (0.1 g L ) and showed that the degradation rates increased with the temperature of the solution. The cumulative effect was more pronounced at lower ultrasonic intensities with little additional benefit derived at increased ultrasonic powers. 

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