UV-induction of photolytic and photocatalytic degradation of fumonisins in water: reaction kinetics and toxicity

lthough fumonisins are toxic and carcinogenic mold products that contaminate feed, food, and water, their photodegradation has not yet been reported. In this work, the efficiency of photolysis (UV, UV/H 2 O 2 , and UV/ S_2O_8^2- ) and photocatalysis (TiO 2 (Degussa P25/Wackherr) and ZnO) for the degradation of fumonisins in an aqueous medium were investigated. In the case of fumonisin B 1 (FB 1 ) optimal conditions in terms of pH, the initial concentrations of H 2 O 2 / S_2O_8^2- for UV, UV/H 2 O 2 , and UV/ S_2O_8^2- treatments were investigated. The photocatalytic degradation using TiO 2 Wackherr as catalyst at natural pH (about 8) proved to be the most efficient treatment for removal of FB 1 and FB 3 . Namely, during the first 30 min of irradiation, 99