Photoactivity of Immobilized Titanium Dioxide (TiO2 ) in Lindane Degradation

Abstract

Introduction and study objectives: Lindane is a generic name for γ-hexachlorocyclohexane, one of the isomers from the group of Hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCH) [1]. Due to its neurotoxic activity, it had a very wide application, from agricultural to non-agricultural purposes. As a result of its lipophility, lindane can easily pass through the blood-brain barrier. The reason of his neurotoxicity is that it can interact with GABAA receptors and obstruct GABA neurotransmitter signaling in nervous system. People who have been exposed to lindane for a long time can experience serious health problems, such as: poor liver function, cardiac arrhythmias, and irregular menstruation. Due to its adverse health effect, lindane is classified as a “pregnancy category C” chemical [2]. It is also one of the Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) that were listed under the Annex A (elimination) of the Stockholm Convention with a specific exemption for use as a human health pharmaceutical [3]. The aim of this paper was the assessment of the immobilized titanium dioxide photocalytic properties in lindane degradation. Methodology: Spray pyrolysis method was used for a synthesis of thin titanium oxide films on the foils of the stainless steel [4]. The lindane solution was incubated with TiO2 and exposed to UV/VIS light. Aliquots were taken from the reaction mixture after 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 hours. Lindane was extracted according to the EPA method 505 [5], and analyzed using an Agilent 7890A gas chromatograph (GC) connected to an electron capture detector (ECD). The GC was equipped with a Thermo Scientific™ TraceGOLD™ TG-5MT capillary column (60 m × 0.25 mm ID × 0.25 μm). The temperature program used for gas chromatography was: Initial heating temperature: 50 °C for 3 minutes, then heating at a rate of 30 °C/min to 210 °C for 20 minutes. Hydrogen with a flow rate of 60 mL/min was used as the carrier gas. Results and conclusions: Photoactivity of immobilized titanium dioxide in the degradation of lindane was measured as a percentage of lindane’s degradation compared to its initial concentration. The obtained results demonstrated that after two hours 45.32 % of lindane was degraded, while after twelve hours the percentage of degradation increased to 98.20 %. In this study we proved that the immobilized titanium dioxide can be used as a productive and fast photocatalyst for lindane photodegradation.