The effect of nitrate, Fe(III) and bicarbonate on the degradation of bisphenol A by simulated solar UV-irradiation.

The photoinitiated degradation of bisphenol A (BPA, 520 micromol/L) was investigated using a solar simulator in the absence/presence of NO(3)(-), Fe(III), and HCO(3)(-). The concentrations of NO(3)(-), Fe(III), and HCO(3)(-) were 0-160, 0-10, and 0-820 micromol/L, respectively, and were chosen to simulate a natural aquatic environment. The experimental region was explored using a Box-Behnken design for three factors, extended to experimentally include all eight possible combinations of presence/absence of the factors studied. The results show that, after 7h of irradiation, photolysis occurs only to a minimal degree (2%) in the absence of NO(3)(-) and HCO(3)(-). Increasing the concentration of NO(3)(-) and HCO(3)(-) gives rise to up to 24% degradation after 7h of irradiation. The concentration of Fe(III) was found to play no active role under the conditions studied. A simple linear model is given that very well describes the results obtained.