Experimental degradation of nonylphenol (endocrine disruptor) by using ultraviolet irradiation in the presence of hydrogen peroxide.

: The photodegradation of nonylphenol under UV irradiation was investigated in an aqueous solution containing hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) as the photochemically active substance was investigated. Influences of pH, the concentration of hydrogen peroxide, and the initial concentration of nonylphenol were studied. The following conditions were determined as optimal for nonylphenol removal: pH 1, H2O2 concentration of 40 mg/L, and an initial nonylphenol concentration of 15 of mg/L. Under these conditions, the removal of nonylphenol reached about 80% after 2 hours of irradiation. Identification of degradation products was done by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and analyses revealed Benzaldehyde, 4-methoxy and Diisobutyl phthalate as the main products of nonylphenol photodegradation.