Exhaustive Photocatalytic Lindane Degradation by Combined Simulated Solar Light-Activated Nanocrystalline TiO2 and Inorganic Oxidants

Organochlorine compounds (OCs) are very toxic, highly persistent, and ubiquitous contaminants in the environment. Degradation of lindane, a selected OC, by simulated solar light-activated TiO2 (SSLA-TiO2) photocatalysis was investigated. The film types of the TiO2 photocatalyst were prepared using a dip-coating method. The physical properties of the films were investigated using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and environmental scanning electron microscopy. The SSLA-TiO2 photocatalysis led to a lindane removal of 23% in 6 h, with 0.042 h−1 of an observed pseudo first-order rate constant (kobs). The SSLA-TiO2 photocatalysis efficiency was greatly enhanced by adding hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), persulfate (S2O82−), or both combined, corresponding to a 64%, 89%, and 99% lindane removal in the presence of 200 µM of H2O2, S2O82−, or equimolar H2O2-S2O82−, respectively. The hydroxyl and sulfate radicals mainly participated in lindane degradation, proven by the results of a radical scavenger study. The degradation kinetics were hindered in the presence of the water constituents, indicated by a 61%, 35%, 50%, 70%, 88%, and 91% degradation of lindane in 6 h, using a SSLA-TiO2/S2O82−/H2O2 photocatalysis system containing 1.0 mg L−1 humic acid (HA), or 1 mM of CO32−, HCO3−, NO3−, SO42−, and Cl−, respectively. The TiO2 film demonstrated high reusability during four runs of lindane decomposition experiments. The SSLA-TiO2/S2O82−/H2O2 photocatalysis is very effective for the elimination of a persistent OC, lindane, from a water environment.