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A swift photocatalysis breaking down bisphenol a for water purification: Analytical insights through DART-MS
Summary
Researchers investigated the photocatalytic degradation mechanism of bisphenol A — a common plastic additive and endocrine disruptor — using a novel photocatalytic polymer, tracking degradation products over 0.5 to 4 hours by Direct Analysis in Real-Time mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry as part of the Upstream project focused on water purification. They revealed the temporal degradation pattern of bisphenol A under photocatalysis, elucidating intermediate compounds and conversion pathways toward less harmful breakdown products.
Plastics, microplastics and nanoplastics are ubiquitous, including waste waters. These plastics often contain additives, playing vital roles in functionalizing plastics. However, these chemicals can leach out into the environment, which can lead to severe environmental impacts. To mitigate the environmental consequences, degradation technologies are required to remove these additives or to convert them into less harmful chemicals. Therefore, a photocatalytic polymer has been developed, offering a cost-effective and easy-to-use degradation technology. However, before applying this technology, the degradation mechanism should be elucidated. To study this unknown degradation mechanism, Bisphenol A (BPA) was used as model chemical, as it is commonly used as plastic additive. As part of the Upstream project (HORIZON-MISS-2022-OCEAN-01-04 Grant Agreement no. 101112877), an aqueous BPA solution (10 ppm) was treated with the catalyst. After an incubation period, the suspension was irradiated with light, initiating photocatalytic degradation. Aliquots were taken at different time points (i.e., 0.5 – 4.0 h) to investigate the degradation pattern of BPA by non-target screening using Direct Analysis in Real-Time coupled to Mass Spectrometry (DART-MS). Subsequently, a more extensive analysis using Liquid Chromatography coupled to Quadrupole Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry (LC-QToFMS) was applied to confirm and to further elucidate temporal degradation patterns. DART-MS analysis revealed the formation of up to 17 different oxidation products or fragments associated with BPA, accompanied by a decreasing BPA signal. It was also observed that more compounds were formed over time during photocatalysis. However, since the DART-MS analysis was conducted at high temperatures (400 °C), there was a high probability of oxidation products and fragments being formed in the ionization source. Therefore, LC-QToFMS was performed to distinguish the compounds being induced by photocatalysis or formed insource. In conclusion, four main oxidation compounds induced by photocatalysis were detected, along with a BPA degradation of 25 Also see: https://micro2024.sciencesconf.org/558481/document