Abstract
Aqueous solution containing 0.52 mmol L-1 bisphenol-A (BPA) and various doses of hydrogen peroxide, prepared from pure substances, have been irradiated with a UV low-pressure mercury lamp immersed in a batch cylindrical photoreactor, at constant temperature. The BPA concentrations have been followed with time by a high performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC) equipped with a Diode Array Detector (DAD). After 20 minutes of irradiation the conversion of BPA was only 16.54% with no hydrogen peroxide but as high as 98.13% with 0.4907 mmol L-1 H2O2 added. These results have shown the synergetic effects of H2O2 plus UV light on the degradation of BPA in water. A number of samples have been analysed in order to determine the degradation products vs. irradiation time. Three main primary products have been identified: phenol (PH), 1,4-dihydroxybenzene (DHB), and 1,4-benzoquinone (BQ). Using a simple kinetic model, the apparent first-order constant has been derived from the experimental curves, at 298 K.