Abstract

Background and purpose: Among the numerous chemicals utilized in agriculture, 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) is widely used to control weeds. This herbicide is considered as a carcinogen and high toxic pollutant which is very difficult to remove due to its biological and chemical stability. This study aimed at photocatalytic degradation of 2,4-D using indium oxide nanoparticles in the presence of ultraviolet light. Materials and methods: This study was carried out in bench scale and batch system. The effect of operating parameters such as pH (2-11), contact time (5-240 min), catalyst dose (0.1-2 g/l) and initial concentration of herbicide (5-40 m/l) on the efficiency of the process were studied. The experimental data were fitted to a pseudo-first-order kinetic model. Results: Increasing the pH and initial concentration of herbicide led to reduced efficiency while increasing the contact time and catalyst dose increased the efficiency. The best result (70 efficiency) was achieved at pH 3, 1 g/l catalyst dose, 120 min contact time, and 5 mg/l initial concentration. The process data well followed the pseudo-first-order kinetic model (R2= 0.915). Conclusion: The results demonstrated that the photocatalytic process using indium oxide nanoparticles in the presence of ultraviolet light have a relatively good efficiency in removing 2,4-D. © 2016, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved.