Elaboración y evaluación de la actividad fotocatalítica de un biocompuesto para su potencial aplicación en la degradación de hidrocarburos aromáticos policíclicos presentes en agua.

Abstract

The water containing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH´s) represents serious disadvantages to the exposed population. The research had the objective to degrade HAPs using photo catalysis processes and a biocompound formed from titanium dioxide (TiO2 ) and chitosan. The degradation by this method consisted in the adhesion of TiO2 in an electrochemical way to the pollutant compound which, when abstaining UV rays causes to react with oxidation and reduction, decreasing its concentration. On the other hand chitosan fulfills with the function of flocculant, encapsulating the compound and precipitating it to facilitate the electrochemical treatment. The PAHs degradation was performed by subjecting 10ml of standard used in the laboratory (1ppm) to UV-B radiation (λ280 - 340) for 120min with 0.002g of bio composite, since, in a previous analysis with methylene blue, this amount was determined to be the most appropiate for treatment; The mostrelevant results were the reduction of 95% in the concentration of Anthracite, 60% of Acenaphthene and 51% of Benzo (a) Anthracene. Therefore, it is concluded that the method used is not the most efficient, since it has favorable results only in specific compounds and given the resources invested is not favorable its application. It is suggested to investigate other possible combinations for the creation of the biocompound to know the effectiveness of each one.