The European Committee for Standardization (CEN) published a new standard for the evaluation of photocatalytic materials intended for water treatment applications. Development of EN 17120:2019 standard was carried out by CEN TC 386 “Photocatalysis”, Working Group 3 “Water treatment”, convened by Dr. Anastasia Hiskia with collaboration of Dr. Theodoros Triantis and Dr. Triantafyllos Kaloudis of INN-NCSR Demokritos. The standard method evaluates the performance of materials on the basis of their ability to degrade a typical water pollutant, phenol, under ultraviolet irradiation (UV). The document describes a standardized photoreactor, specifications of the UV sources and experimental conditions under which the rate of phenol degradation is determined. An important innovation of the method is the use of a certified reference material (NIST SRM 1898) to enhance reliability of results and to enable inter-laboratory comparisons. The standard was further validated through a round-robin test that was organized by the Laboratory of Catalytic-Photocatalytic Processes and Environmental Analysis of Demokritos, with participation of 8 expert European laboratories. Results proved the reliability and suitability of the new method for the intended use. The new standard is expected to contribute to rationalization of the global emerging market of photocatalytic materials and applications as well as to enhancement of growth, competitiveness and market shareσ for the European sector.

Reference:

EN 17120:2019. Photocatalysis - Water purification - Performance of photocatalytic materials by measurement of phenol degradation.

Contact: Dr. A. Hiskia, a.hiskia@inn.demokritos.gr