Research

Valorization of a Continuous Flow Reactor for Wastewater Decontamination by Photocatalysis

(INNVA1/2022/66)  (01/01/22 – 30/09/24)

VALENCIAN INNOVATION AGENCY (AVI-GVA)

The project Valorisation of a continuous flow reactor for wastewater decontamination by photocatalysis – DECONTAMINATIO2 (INNVA1/2022/66) with a total funding of €150,122.17 from the Valencian Innovation Agency together with the FEDER grants from the European Union ended on September 30. The main results obtained with this project led by researcher María Luisa Marín from the Institute of Chemical Technology (UPV-CSIC) have made it possible to address new methods of treating wastewater with a high load of organic compounds and especially pesticides, fungicides and/or drugs. The usual technologies for this include Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOP) such as the use of light with semiconductors such as TiO2, Fenton and photofenton processes or ozonation; however, their industrial development is still very limited, with the use of ozone being the most widespread technology currently. However, the use of semiconductors such as TiO2 and UV light has great advantages over other AOPs, such as: -low risk in handling (it is a safer method than ozonation, since its use does not require any precautionary measures as demanding as the handling of an oxidizing gas such as ozone), -it is a clean method (like ozonation, it does not generate waste as occurs in the Fenton or photofenton processes), -the generation of hydroxyl radicals that have a greater oxidation power than ozone, -high resistance to photocorrosion and high availability at low cost of TiO2. With the new photoreactor we are in a position to have it valued as an alternative to the one existing on the market since with the scaling of the photoreactor, water decontamination by photocatalysis is already a competitive process compared to the use of ozone.