PHOTOCATALYTIC DECOMPOSITION OF MALATHION USING METAL OXIDE POWDER

Awaad, M. I.; Fayed, M. S.; Abd El Magid, M. K.; Baraka, A.

doi:10.21608/iccee.2012.35890

PHOTOCATALYTIC DECOMPOSITION OF MALATHION USING METAL OXIDE POWDER

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Egyptian Armed Forces.

10.21608/iccee.2012.35890

Abstract

Abstract Malathion is an organophosphate insecticide used to control a variety of insects in agricultural productions. The contamination of water by malathion and other organophosphate insecticides has a great hazard to the human and animals due to carcinogenic effect and other toxic effects to nerve system. To remove malathion contamination from water, photocatalysis has been applied as a powerful method. Powder form of some selected metal oxide such as TiO2, Al2O3, Fe2O3, and MgO was used. Photocatalytic decomposition of malathion at different conditions (malathion initial concentration, catalyst type and catalyst amount in sample and presence of oxidant) were investigated in a patch reactor. H2O2, K2S2O8, (NH4)2S2O8, KMnO4, CrO3 were used as oxidants. Amongst the tested oxides, TiO2 was found to best decompose malathion and decomposition was increased as the concentration of TiO2 was elevated up to 14 mg/l. Addition of H2O2 to reactor highly enhanced the decomposition process.

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