Enhanced photocatalytic degradation of pollutants in petroleum refinery wastewater under mild conditions.

A circulating photocatalytic reactor was used for removing aliphatic and aromatic organic pollutants in refinery wastewater. The TiO(2) added wastewater samples, while saturating with air, were irradiated with an immersed mercury UV lamp (400 W, 200-550 nm). Optimal catalyst concentration, fluid pH and temperature were obtained at amounts of near 100 mgL(-1), 3 and 318K, respectively. A maximum reduction in chemical oxygen demand of more than 90% was achieved after about 4h irradiation and hence, 73% after about only 90 min; significant pollutant removal was also achievable in the other conditions. The identification of the organic pollutants, provided by means of a GC/MS and a GC analysis systems, equipped with headspace injection technique, showed that the major compounds were different fractions of petroleum aliphatic hydrocarbons (up to C(10)) and the well-known aromatic compounds such as benzene, toluene and ethylbenzene. The results showed a high efficiency degradation of all of these pollutants.