Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Heterogeneous photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange in schwertmannite/oxalate suspension under UV irradiation

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Environmental Science and Pollution Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Introduction

Schwertmannite was synthesized through an oxidation of FeSO4 by Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans LX5 cell suspension at an initial pH 2.5 and 28°C for 3 days and characterized using X-ray diffraction spectroscopy and scanning electron microscope. The schwertmannite photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange (MO) by oxalate was investigated at different initial pH values, concentrations of schwertmannite, oxalate, and MO.

Results

The results demonstrated that photodegradation of MO in the presence of schwertmannite or oxalate alone was very weak. However, the removal of MO was significantly enhanced when schwertmannite and oxalate coexisted in the reaction system. Low pH (4 or less) was beneficial to the degradation of MO. The optimal doses of schwertmannite and oxalate were 0.2 g L−1 and 2 mM, respectively. Hydroxyl radicals (·OH) and Fe(II), the intermediate products, were also examined during the reaction to explore their correlation with the degradation of MO.

Conclusion

A possible mechanism for the photocatalytic decomposition of MO in the study was proposed. The formation of Fe(III)-oxalate complexes on the surface of schwertmannite was a precursor of H2O2 and Fe(II) production, further leading to the yield of ·OH responsible for the decomposition of MO.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Balmer ME, Sulzberger B (2009) Atrazine degradation in irradiated iron/oxalate systems: effects of pH and oxalate. Environ Sci Technol 33:2418–2424

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bigham JM, Schwertmann U, Carlson L, Murad E (1990) A poorly crystallized oxyhydroxysulfate of iron formed by bacterial oxidation of Fe(II) in acid mine waters. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 54:2743–2758

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bigham JM, Carlson L, Murad E (1994) Schwertmannite, a new iron oxyhydroxy-sulphate from Pyhasalmi, Finland, and other localities. Mineral Mag 58:641–648

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Casado J, Fornaguera J, Galán MI (2005) Mineralization of aromatics in water by sunlight-assisted electro-Fenton technology in a pilot reactor. Environ Sci Technol 39:1843–1847

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Crini G (2006) Non-conventional low-cost adsorbents for dye removal: a review. Bioresource Technol 97:1061–1085

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Faust BC, Zepp RG (1993) Photochemistry of aqueous iron(III)-polycarboxylate complexes: roles in the chemistry of atmospheric and surface waters. Environ Sci Technol 27:2517–2522

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Guo J, Du Y, Lan Y, Mao J (2011) Photodegradation mechanism and kinetics of methyl orange catalyzed by Fe(III) and citric acid. J Hazard Mater 186:2083–2088

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gupta VK, Ali I (2008) Removal of endosulfan and methoxychlor from water on carbon slurry. Environ Sci Technol 42:766–770

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gupta VK, Mittal A, Gajbe V, Mittal J (2006) Removal and recovery of the hazardous azo dye acid orange 7 through adsorption over waste materials: bottom ash and de-oiled soya. Ind Eng Chem Res 45:1446–1453

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gupta VK, Ali I, Saini VK (2007a) Adsorption studies on the removal of vertigo blue 49 and orange DNA 13 from aqueous solutions using carbon slurry developed from a waste material. J Colloid Interface Sci 315:87–93

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gupta VK, Jain R, Mittal A, Mathur M, Sikarwar S (2007b) Photochemical degradation of the hazardous dye Safranin-T using TiO2 catalyst. J Colloid Interface Sci 309:464–469

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gupta VK, Carrott PJM, Carrott MMLR, Suhas (2009) Low-cost adsorbents: growing approach to wastewater treatment-a review. Environ Sci Technol 39:783–842

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gupta VK, Gupta B, Rastogi A, Agarwal S, Nayak A (2011a) A comparative investigation on adsorption performances of mesoporous activated carbon prepared from waste rubber tire and activated carbon for a hazardous azo dye—Acid Blue 113. J Hazard Mater 186:891–901

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gupta VK, Jain R, Nayak A, Agarwal S, Shrivastava M (2011b) Removal of the hazardous dye—Tartrazine by photodegradation on titanium dioxide surface. Mater Sci Eng C 31:1062–1067

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gupta VK, Jain R, Agarwal S, Shrivastava M (2011c) Kinetics of photo-catalytic degradation of hazardous dye Tropaeoline 000 using UV/TiO2 in a UV reactor. Colloid Surface A: 378:22–26

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gupta VK, Jain R, Agarwal S, Nayak A, Shrivastava M (2012a) Photodegradation of hazardous dye quinoline yellow catalyzed by TiO2. J Colloid Interface Sci 366:135–140

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gupta VK, Jain R, Mittal A, Saleh TA, Nayak A, Agarwal S, Sikarwar S (2012b) Photo-catalytic degradation of toxic dye amaranth on TiO2/UV in aqueous suspensions. Mater Sci Eng C 32:12–17

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jeong J, Yoon J (2004) Dual roles of CO −·2 for degrading synthetic organic chemicals in the photo/ferrioxalate system. Water Res 38:3531–3540

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jönsson J, Persson P, Sjöberg S, Lövgren L (2005) Schwertmannite precipitated from acid mine drainage: phase transformation, sulphate release and surface properties. Appl Geochem 20:179–191

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Karkmaz M, Puzenat E, Guillard C, Herrmann JM (2004) Photocatalytic degradation of the alimentary azo dye amaranth mineralization of the azo group to nitrogen. Appl Catal B: Environ 51:183–194

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lan Q, Li F, Liu C, Li X (2008) Heterogeneous photodegradation of pentachlorophenol with maghemite and oxalate under UV illumination. Environ Sci Technol 42:7918–7923

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li Y, Zhang F (2010) Catalytic oxidation of methyl orange by an amorphous FeOOH catalyst developed from a high iron-containing fly ash. Chem Eng J 158:148–153

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li FB, Li XZ, Li XM, Liu TX, Dong J (2007) Heterogeneous photodegradation of bisphenol A with iron oxides and oxalate in aqueous solution. J Colloid Interface Sci 311:481–490

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li Y, Lu A, Jin S, Wang C (2009) Photo-reductive decolorization of an azo dye by natural sphalerite: case study of a new type of visible light-sensitized photocatalyst. J Hazard Mater 170:479–486

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liao Y, Zhou L, Liang J, Xiong H (2009) Biosynthesis of schwertmannite by Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans cell suspensions under different pH condition. Mater Sci Eng C 29:211–215

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liao Y, Liang J, Zhou L (2011) Adsorptive removal of As(III) by biogenic schwertmannite from simulated As-contaminated groundwater. Chemosphere 83:295–301

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liu X, Wu F, Deng N (2004) Photoproduction of hydroxyl radicals in aqueous solution with algae under high-pressure mercury lamp. Environ Sci Technol 38:296–299

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liu C, Li F, Li X, Zhang G, Kuang Y (2006) The effect of iron oxides and oxalate on the photodegradation of 2-mercaptobenzothiazole. J Mol Catal A: Chem 252:40–48

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mazellier P, Sulzberger B (2001) Diuron degradation in irradiated, heterogeneous iron/oxalate systems: the rate-determining step. Environ Sci Technol 35:3314–3320

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Saquib M, Muneer M (2003) Titanium dioxide mediated photocatalyzed degradation of a textile dye derivative, acid orange 8 in aqueous suspensions. Desalination 155:255–263

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Siffert C, Sulzberger B (1991) Light-induced dissolution of hematite in the presence of oxalate: a case study. Langmuir 7:1627–1634

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Silva CG, Faria JL (2003) Photochemical and photocatalytic degradation of an azo dye in aqueous solution by UV irradiation. J Photoch Photobio A: Chem 155:133–143

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Slokar YM, Marechal AML (1998) Methods of decoloration of textile wastewaters. Dyes Pigments 37:335–356

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tian X, Gao X, Yang F, Lan Y, Mao J, Zhou L (2010) Catalytic role of soils in the transformation of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) in the presence of organic acids containing α-OH groups. Geoderma 159:270–275

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang X, Li Q, Hu H, Zhang T, Zhou Y (2005) Dissolution of kaolinite induced by citric, oxalic, and malic acids. J Colloid Interface Sci 290:481–488

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang X, Liu C, Li X, Li F, Zhou S (2008) Photodegradation of 2-mercaptobenzothiazole in the γ-Fe2O3/oxalate suspension under UVA light irradiation. J Hazard Mater 153:426–433

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yoo ES, Libra J, Wiesmann U (2000) Reduction of azo dyes by desulfovibrio desulfuricans. Water Sci Technol 41:15–22

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zuo Y, Holgné J (1992) Formation of hydrogen peroxide and depletion of oxalic acid in atmospheric water by photolysis of iron(III)-oxalato complexes. Environ Sci Technol 26:1014–1022

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant no. 40930738) and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (grant no. KYZ201124).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, People’s Republic of China

    Yong Wu, Jing Guo, Danjun Jiang, Pei Zhou & Yeqing Lan

  2. College of Resources and Environments, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, People’s Republic of China

    Lixiang Zhou

Authors
  1. Yong Wu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jing Guo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Danjun Jiang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Pei Zhou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Yeqing Lan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Lixiang Zhou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yeqing Lan.

Additional information

Responsible editor: Vinod Kumar Gupta

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Wu, Y., Guo, J., Jiang, D. et al. Heterogeneous photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange in schwertmannite/oxalate suspension under UV irradiation. Environ Sci Pollut Res 19, 2313–2320 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-012-0740-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-012-0740-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation