Efficiency of Photocatalytic Degradation of Humic Acid Using Magnetic Nanoparticles (Fe-doped TiO2@Fe3O4) in Aqueous Solutions

Among water pollutants, Natural Organic Matters (NOMs) are highly important for making problems in water treatment plants.

The main objective of this study was to investigate the efficiency of photocatalytic degradation of humic acid using magnetic nanoparticles (Fe-doped TiO2@Fe3O4) in aqueous solutions.

In the present experiment, Fe-doped TiO2@Fe3O4 nanoparticles were synthesized by the sol-gel method, and SEM, XRD, and DRS analyzes were utilized to characterize the synthesized nanoparticles. The effects of various variables, including pH (3 - 11), initial concentration of humic acid (20 - 80 mg/L), and concentration of nanoparticles (250 - 2000 mg/L) at different reaction times (15 - 60 min) were investigated on the photocatalytic degradation of humic acid.

The maximum degradation efficiency of humic acid at pH 3, the initial humic acid concentration of 5 mg/L, nanoparticle dose of 400 mg/L, and reaction time of 60 min using a 15-W bare UV lamp.

Due to the high efficiency of photocatalytic degradation, it is proposed to use for the removal of humic acid from water resources.