An Use of Solar Energy Based Photocatalyst for Degradation of Water Pollutants

Abstract

Azo dyes/Dyes, pesticides, weedicide, etc. are highly harmful and carcinogenic in nature. Dyes especially azo dyes reduces fertility of soil. Treatment of dye pollution even pesticides, weedicides is challenging for environmentalists. The photocatalytic degradation of most of water-soluble organic pollutants by heterogeneous photocatalyst ZnO in the presence of sunlight is best and sustainable method. We also found the influence of different parameters like light intensity, temperature, amount of catalyst, pH of the solution, light intensity. It has been found that ZnO is capable to degraded/remove most of water-soluble organic pollutants in the presence of sunlight. The merits of the technic are: (1) we can use same catalyst many times and it works well every time. (2) Techniques is based on sunlight. We also applied this technology for treatment of sewage water and we observed that this catalyst is fully capable to remove all kind of water-soluble pollutants we got more than 99% transparent water in few hours irradiation of sunlight.

Keywords: Non-biodegradable, degradation, ZnO, TiO₂, photocatalytic azo dyes