Degradação de ivermectina em solução aquosa utilizando um reator fotocatalítico com esferas de TiO2/Alumina

Abstract

The presence of micropollutants in aquatic environments even at low concentrations causes damage to the environment and human health and conventional water treatments are not efficient in their removals. The micropollutant studied was ivermectin, a drug used in veterinary medicine. Quantification and safe identification of this compound requires the use of efficient analytical techniques. In this context, the present work aims to evaluate the efficiency of the TiO2 / Alumina beads in the degradation of ivermectin in a photocatalytic reactor, in bench scale, and for the comparative purposes the UV / H2O2 oxidative process was used, validate the methodology for (HPLC-MS), positive electrospray ionization (HEI (+)), and to identify which of the degradation byproducts of the drug originated during treatments. The results showed that the catalyst supported in the form of ball showed significant photocatalytic activity, removing about 70% of the pollutant in 10 minutes of operation of the reactor. With the process using UV / H2O2 (5 mM, UV lamps - 254 nm), it showed a degradation efficiency of 60% (in 10 minutes of operation) thus showing to be less efficient than that using TiO2 / Alumina beads . The validation results met ANVISA requirements and proved adequate for analyzing the study samples.