Degradation of dibutyl phthalate (DBP) by UV-254 nm/H2O2 photochemical oxidation: kinetics and influence of various process parameters.

Degradation of dibuytl phthalate (DBP), a plasticizer and also a widely distributed endocrine disruptor, by UV-254 nm/H2O2 advanced oxidation process (AOP) was investigated in this study. A significant DBP removal of 77.1 % at an initial concentration of 1.0 μM was achieved at UV fluence of 160 mJ/cm2, initial H2O2 dosage of 1.0 mM, and pH of 7.6 ± 0.1. The DBP degradation exhibited a pseudo-first-order reaction kinetic pattern, with the rate constants linearly increasing with increasing H2O2 dosage while decreasing with increasing initial DBP concentration and pH value in a specific range. DBP destruction was significantly inhibited in the presence of alkalinity and natural organic matter (NOM), two known factors that should be taken a serious consideration of in the research and design of UV/H2O2-based AOPs. Presence of common inorganic anions (i.e., Cl-, SO42-, and NO3-) and metal cations (i.e., Fe3+ and Zn2+) had a slight impact on the degradation of DBP, although Cu2+ could improve the degradation efficiency even at a concentration as low as 0.01 mg/L, suggesting a strong potential of applying UV/H2O2 for the removal of DBP with an environmental relevant level of copper.