Photocatalytic degradation of geosmin and MIB in an immobilised Ti0₂ photoreactor

Geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol (MIB) are two common taste and odour compounds found in drinking water supply sources and are often source of customer complaints of water quality. This paper presents an investigation into the removal of these compounds using photocatalysis with UV/Ti0₂. Our focus was on the performance of immobilised Ti0₂, due to its simplicity in terms of recovery and reuse compared to the Ti0₂ particles in the suspension form. The influence of adding another oxidant (i.e., hydrogen peroxide) and presence of natural organic matter (i.e., humic acid) was also investigated. It was found that for the same UV exposure area, immobilisation of the Ti0₂ particles led to a slower rate of degradation when compared with the suspended Ti0₂ system; total degradation of geosmin and MIB at concentrations of