Heterogeneous Photocatalytic Degradation of Disulfoton in Aqueous TiO2 Suspensions: Parameter and Reaction Pathway Investigations

The photocatalytic degradation of organophosphorus insecticide disulfoton is investigated by having titanium dioxide (TiO2) as a photocatalyst. About 99% of disulfoton is degraded after UV irradiation for 90 min. The effects of the solution pH, catalyst dosage, light intensity, and inorganic ions on the photocatalytic degradation of disulfoton are also investigated, as well as the reaction intermediates which are formed during the treatment. Eight intermediates have been identified and characterized through a mass spectra analysis, giving insight into the early steps of the degradation process. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study reporting the degradation pathways of disulfoton. The results suggest that possible transformation pathways may involve in either direct electron or hole transfer to the organic substrate. The photodegradation of disulfoton by UV/TiO2 exhibits pseudo-first-order reaction kinetics and a reaction quantum yield of 0.267. The electrical energy consumption per order of magnitude for photocatalytic degradation of disulfoton is 85 kWh/(m(3) order).