PHOTOCATALYTIC POLLUTANT REMOVAL IN WATER AT ROOM-TEMPERATURE - CASE-STUDY OF THE TOTAL DEGRADATION OF THE INSECTICIDE FENITROTHION (PHOSPHOROTHIOIC ACID O,O-DIMETHYL-O(3-METHYL-4-NITRO-PHENYL) ESTER)

The photocatalytic purification of water containing fenitrothion has b een performed in TiO2 aqueous suspensions. The mineralization into CO2 , H2PO4-, SO42-, NO3- was achieved. Several intermediates have been id entified by HPLC and GC/MS. They illustrate the transformation of P=S into P=0, the splitting between the phosphorous part and the aromatic moiety and the transfer of methyl or methoxy groups. Formate ions, pri ncipally produced from the CH3O and CH3 groups and acetate ions were a lso detected as intermediate products.