Kinetics and mechanistic investigation into the degradation of naproxen by a UV/chlorine process

Abstract

In this study, UV irradiation combined with chlorine (UV/chlorine) was used to degrade naproxen (NPX), a typical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) widely used for the treatment of symptoms associated with inflammation, in water. Compared with UV irradiation alone and direct chlorination, the UV/chlorine process shows a synergistic effect on NPX degradation. The effects of different factors, including the chlorine dose, solution pH, and the presence of Cl⁻, HCO₃⁻ or humic acid (HA), on NPX degradation in the UV/chlorine process were investigated. The results indicated that the degradation of NPX followed pseudo-first-order kinetics in all cases, and the rate constant increased as the chlorine dose increased and decreased as the pH increased. The effects of the water matrix on UV/chlorine treatment were species-dependent. The NPX degradation rate was inhibited by the presence of HCO₃⁻ and HA but significantly improved by Cl⁻. LC/MS/MS analysis indicated that NPX decomposition in the UV/chlorine process was associated with decarboxylation, demethylation and hydroxylation. These results indicate that the UV/chlorine process is a promising technology for the treatment of water polluted by emerging contaminants, such as NPX. However, UV/chlorine can notably enhance the formation of disinfection by-products compared to direct chlorination, which should be carefully considered when integrating this process into drinking water treatment schemes.