Abstract
Basic fuchsin (BF) is an important dye used in textile and in biological and chemical assays, suspected of being carcinogenic. The environmental and occupational issues related to it are very important. This study aimed at investigating the sonochemical degradation of BF in water using high-frequency ultrasound waves (600kHz). The effects of several operating parameters, namely initial substrate concentration, ultrasonic power, and liquid temperature (25-45 degrees C), on the efficiency of ultrasonic process were investigated. Additionally, experiments were conducted in the presence of salts (NaCl and Na2SO4) as well as tert-butyl alcohol as a radical scavenger. The viability of ultrasound to degrade BF in natural water was also examined. The obtained results showed that ultrasound (600kHz) is an efficient technique for removing BF. It was found that the initial degradation rate of BF increased with increasing initial dye concentration in the range 1-15mgL(-1) and liquid temperature in the interval 25-35 degrees C. The initial degradation rate increased by factor of 2.8 when the delivered power increased from 30 to 90W. Excepting the salting out effect, the presence of salts, even at high concentration, has practically no significant effect on the efficiency of BF removal, making ultrasonic treatment as a promising technique for removing organic pollutants from industrial and natural waters. The presence of tert-butyl alcohol in a mass ratio of 1:1 (BF:alcohol) drastically inhibited the degradation rate of BF, making sure that hydroxyl radical was the main species involved in the degradation of this compound.