Heterogeneous photocatalytic oxidation for the removal of organophosphorus pollutants from aqueous solutions: A review

Organophosphorus pollutants (OPs), which are compounds containing carbon-phosphorus bonds or phosphate deriv-atives containing organic groups, have received much attention from researchers because of their persistence in the aqueous environment for long periods of time and the threat they pose to human health. Heterogeneous photocatalysis has been widely applied to the removal of OPs from aqueous solutions due to its better removal effect and environmen-tal friendliness. In this review, the removal of OPs from aqueous matrices by heterogeneous photocatalysis was pre-sented. Herein, the application and the heterogeneous photocatalysis mechanism of OPs were described in detail, and the effects of catalyst types on degradation effect are discussed categorically. In particular, the heterojunction type photocatalyst has the most excellent effect. After that, the photocatalytic degradation pathways of several OPs were summarized, focusing on the organophosphorus pesticides and organophosphorus flame retardants, such as methyl parathion, dichlorvos, dimethoate and chlorpyrifos. The toxicity changes during degradation were evaluated, indicating that the photocatalytic process could effectively reduce the toxicity of OPs. Additionally, the effects of com-mon water matrices on heterogeneous photocatalytic degradation of OPs were also presented. Finally, the challenges and perspectives of heterogeneous photocatalysis removal of OPs are summarized and presented.

Automated summary

This review focuses on the removal of organophosphorus pollutants (OPs) from aqueous solutions using heterogeneous photocatalysis. It provides detailed descriptions of the photocatalytic mechanism and the influence of catalyst types on the degradation effect, and summarizes the photocatalytic degradation pathways of several OPs. The study shows that the photocatalytic process can effectively reduce the toxicity of OPs. Additionally, the effects of common water matrices on the heterogeneous photocatalytic degradation of OPs are discussed.