Influence of H2O2 Formed In Situ on the Photodegradation of Ibuprofen and Ketoprofen

The efficient photomineralization of ibuprofen and ketoprofen was achieved through the use of a novel combination of a conventional low-pressure mercury lamp (185/254 nm) and a xenon excimer flow-through photoreactor (λmax7equals; 172 nm) with an integrated ceramic gassing unit. During the vacuum-ultraviolet photolysis of water, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) was produced both in the presence and in the absence of ibuprofen or ketoprofen (c0 = 1.0×10-4 mol L-1). Ibuprofen and ketoprofen enhanced the formation of H2O2 significantly. The influence of H2O2 on the photomineralization of these pharmaceutical pollutants was also investigated. The effects of the energy of the incident photons (the wavelength of the light) on the degradation of the contaminants and on H2O2 formation were compared.