Removal of Trimethoprim and 5-Fluorouracil by UV/Persulfate and UV/VUV Persulfate Methods †.

The UV, UV/VUV photolysis and their combination with persulfate (S₂O₈²⁻) were studied for the elimination of trimethoprim and 5-fluorouracil. Methods were examined in terms of transformation and mineralization rate and the matrix effect. The relative contribution of the direct UV photolysis and radical-based reactions (^•OH, SO₄^•−) were also investigated. Without S₂O₈²⁻, the efficiency of UV/VUV photolysis highly exceeds that of UV photolysis due to the ^•OH formation, while in the presence of S₂O₈²⁻, the dominant reaction partner is SO₄^•−. However, SO₄^•−-based methods proved to be efficient for both transformation and mineralization; they are sensitive for the matrix components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]