Evaluation of photocatalytic performance based on nanomaterials as aneffective advanced oxidation process (AOPs) in oil pollution treatment

Refinery wastewaters are significant contributors to water pollution due to their nonbiodegradableand toxic nature. Phenolic compounds, classified as priority pollutants by the USEPA, are particularly problematic. Photocatalytic techniques based on nanomaterials, liketitanium dioxide (TiO۲) nanostructures, have emerged as effective and versatile solutions forwastewater treatment. TiO۲ nanoparticles offer advantages such as increased surface area,enhanced reaction rates, non-toxicity, biocompatibility, and ease of preparation, making thempopular in photocatalysis [۱]. They exhibit high photocatalytic activity under ultraviolet light,ensuring efficient degradation even in low light conditions. Importantly, TiO۲ can undergooxidation state changes without decomposing, making it a desirable catalyst for completemineralization, serving as an alternative to chemical oxidation [۲]. The specific surface area ofTiO۲ allows photocatalysis to proceed unaffected by the presence of other molecules, such aswater [۳].This article investigates the effective parameters in the purification of p-nitrophenol, ahazardous phenolic compound, using TiO۲ nanoparticles in the photocatalytic method. The studyreveals that within the studied range, lamp power and pH positively influence the purificationefficiency, while pollutant concentration negatively affects it. Increasing the amount of TiO۲nanoparticles initially improves efficiency, but further increases lead to decreased processefficiency due to increased turbidity.In summary, this study demonstrates the effectiveness ofTiO۲ nanoparticles in the photocatalytic purification of phenolic compounds. It highlights thepositive impact of lamp power and pH, along with the negative influence of pollutantconcentration on the efficiency of the photocatalytic process. Moreover, the findings emphasizethe importance of controlling nanoparticle concentration to avoid diminishing process efficiencycaused by turbidity. Overall, this research contributes to the understanding of the photocatalyticmethod's potential for wastewater treatment and optimization.