Removal of Pharmaceutical Contaminants from Water using MoO3 nanomaterials

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2018-10-18

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While chemicals are being disposed of in the environment, more harmful substances are getting found in our waterways. One of those substances is Methylene blue, a blue dye and medication. The accumulation of medications in our waterways is impacting the environment, animals and human health. In fact, polluted water from pharmaceutical disposal if ingurgitated, can cause several health issues. This research focuses on the removal of pharmaceutical compounds, mainly methylene blue, from contaminated water using a photocatalytic nanomaterial, MoO3 (molybdenum trioxide). MoO3 is a nanohybrid materials that can be easily recovered and reused, which makes the water treatment more cost-effective and greener. Molybdenum was selected as the main parent material since it is photocatalytic in visible light. The main goal of this research is to investigate the photocatalytic activities of MoO3 for the removal of chemical and hazardous contaminants in water. In the first part, the MoO3 nanoparticles were synthesized, characterized and tested with methylene blue under visible light and also the dark. We combined metal oxides with Mo as it produces a superior nanohybrid material with great photocatalytic activity under visible light. We then studied the mechanism of degradation and the dissolution of the nanoparticles with respect to time. As a matter of fact, we found out that the structure of the nanoparticles synthesized and the pH of the methylene blue solution greatly impact the degradation process. We still need to find the right combination of those parameters in order to get an optimal contaminants removal.

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