Towards the effective removal of environmental strains of bacteria from real wastewater by heterostructured photocatalysts

Access to clean water is crucial for human health, yet microbial contamination poses significant challenges. This study investigates the effectiveness of novel photocatalytic catalysts: heterostructured TiO2/AgBr and faceted titanium dioxide, for microbial inactivation under ultraviolet and visible...

ver descrição completa

Detalhes bibliográficos
Autores: Larumbe, Nadia, Moles, Samuel, Hidalgo, M. C., Rubio Aranda, Encarnación, Goñi, Pilar, Mosteo, Rosa
Formato: artículo
Estado:Versión aceptada para publicación
Fecha de publicación:2025
País:España
Recursos:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repositorio:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/380686
Acesso em linha:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/380686
https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/85214787122
Access Level:acceso embargado
Palavra-chave:Wastewater
Disinfection
Environmental-strains
Photocatalysis
TiO2/AgBr
http://metadata.un.org/sdg/3
http://metadata.un.org/sdg/6
Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
wastewater
Descrição
Resumo:Access to clean water is crucial for human health, yet microbial contamination poses significant challenges. This study investigates the effectiveness of novel photocatalytic catalysts: heterostructured TiO2/AgBr and faceted titanium dioxide, for microbial inactivation under ultraviolet and visible light. Both catalysts were synthesized and characterized. Performance was evaluated using real wastewater samples and saline solutions, targeting gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. The experimental approach included testing the photocatalysts with and without the addition of peroxydisulfate to assess its impact on inactivation effectiveness. Results indicated that the TiO2/AgBr catalyst outperformed the faceted titanium dioxide one due to its superior visible light absorption and enhanced charge separation, achieving complete inactivation of environmental strains of Escherichia coli and significant inactivation for Enterococcus faecalis in real wastewater. The inclusion of peroxodisulfate with TiO2/AgBr significantly improved inactivation rates, demonstrating a synergistic effect. Regarding wastewater composition, the treatment achieves a significant COD removal while the rest of studied parameters remain stable. Both catalysts effectively prevented bacterial regrowth for up to 48 hours, underscoring its long-term efficacy. Overall, these findings highlight the potential application of TiO2/AgBr combined with peroxodisulfate as an effective strategy for microbial inactivation, contributing to the advancement in water treatment technologies across real environmental contexts.