VACUUM-ULTRAVIOLET (VUV) PHOTOLYSIS OF WATER - MINERALIZATION OF ATRAZINE

The versatility and efficiency of the VUV photolysis of water as an ''Advanced Oxidation Procedure' for the light-induced oxidative degradation of atrazine as a pollutant of surface and ground waters is evaluated. The oxidation of atrazine using TiO2 as a photocatalyst has been reported to produce almost stoichiometric amounts of cyanuric acid. Mineralization to CO2, water and inorganic nitrogen containing ions occurred to a very low extent implying that cyanuric acid is resistant to further degradation under the chosen experimental conditions. Our present results show that in oxygen saturated solutions 50% of the initial atrazine is converted to cyanuric acid, whereas only 10% of the initial atrazine is isolated as cyanuric acid in argon saturated solutions. The results indicate that mineralization is more efficient in not strictly oxidative reaction media.