Optimization of Photocatalytic Degradation of Endocrine Disrupting Chemical Bisphenol A by Using Response Surface Methodology

Photocatalytic degradation of endocrine disrupting chemical bisphenol A (BPA) by TiO
₂
with 245 nm ultraviolet (UV) light was studied in a batch reactor. Response surface methodology (RSM) and central composite design (CCD) were employed to optimize three parameters, viz. TiO
₂
concentration, initial BPA concentration, and UV light intensity. The optimized conditions of photocatalytic degradation of BPA were as follows: TiO
₂
concentration, 1.80 g/L; initial BPA concentration, 41.08 mg/L; UV light intensity, 6.61 mw/cm
²
. Under these conditions, the maximal BPA removal efficiency of 82.3% was achieved. Also, a polynomial expression modeling the reaction was obtained. The model fitted well with the experimental data, indicating the suitability of the model and the success of response surface methodology (RSM) in optimizing the conditions of photocatalysis.