Nitrate removal in saline water by photo-reduction using natural FeTiO3 as catalyst

As climate change progresses, there is an increasing interest on the use of non-conventional water sources such as brackish or saline waters. Nowadays, main threat in Europe detected these waterbodies nitrate contamination. Within multiple available methods studied for reduction, photocatalysis presents promising results, but this technology has not yet been tested water. This work tackles elimination ([NO3?] =50 mg/L) and ([sea salt] = 5–33 g/L) using ilmenite photocatalyst oxalic acid environmental-friendly reducing agent. The challenge when working to overcome scavenging by Ca2+ present matrix. can be solved either at over stoichiometric concentrations (?300% stoich. dose) acidifying reaction media. addition hydrochloric ensures protonation acid, drastically its precipitation CaC2O4. Working [C2O42?] 180 mg/L, [FeTiO3] 450 mg/L [HCl 37%] 13 mM, 73% total nitrogen (TN) was reached after 420 min. Reaction temperature also evaluated range 20–80 °C, which allowed calculate Ea=9.8 kJ/mol. Finally, effect dissolved O2 TN reduction assessed. Overall, photocatalytic itself a feasible regardless salinity.