Photocatalytic degradation of atrazine herbicide with Illuminated Fe +3 -TiO 2 Nanoparticles.

Background: Atrazine is a herbicide that is widely used to control broadleaf and grassy weeds for growing many crops especially in maize production. It is a frequently detected herbicide in many groundwater resources. This study aimed to assess the feasibility of using ultraviolet radiation UV and fortified nanoparticles of titanium dioxide (TiO ₂ ) doped with trivalent iron to remove atrazine from aqueous phase and determin the removal efficiency under the optimal conditions.
Results: The results of this study demonstrated that the maximum atrazine removal rate was at pH = 11 in the presence of Fe ^{+ 3} -TiO ₂ catalyst =25 mg/L and the initial concentration of atrazine equal to 10 mg/L. As the reaction time increased, the removal rate of herbicide increased as well. Atrazine removal rate was enhanced by the effect of UV radiation on catalyst activation in Fe ⁺³ -TiO ₂ /UV process. It was also revealed that pH has no significant effect on atrazine removal efficiency ( p  > 0.05).
Conclusion: Based on the data obtained in this study, atrazine removal efficiency was increased by increasing pH, initial atrazine concentration, catalyst, and contact time. The results also showed Fe ⁺³ -TiO ₂ /UV process was an appropriate method to reduce atrazine in contaminated water resources. In conclusion, Fe ⁺³ -TiO ₂ /UV process may enhance the rate of atrazine reduction in highly polluted water resources (more than 99%).