Photocatalytic pollutant removal in water at room temperature: Case study of the total degradation of the insecticide fenitrothion (phosphorothioic acid O,O-dimethyl-O(3-methyl-4-nitro-phenyl) ester)

The photocatalytic purification of water containing fenitrothion has been performed in TiO2 aqueous suspensions. The mineralization into CO2, H2PO4-, SO42-, NO3- was achieved. Several intermediates have been identified by HPLC and GC/MS. They illustrate the transformation of P=S into P=0, the splitting between the phosphorous part and the aromatic moiety and the transfer of methyl or methoxy groups. Formate ions, principally produced from the CH3O and CH3 groups and acetate ions were also detected as intermediate products.