Degradation of melamine in aqueous systems by vacuum UV-(VUV-) photolysis. An alternative to photocatalysis

VUV-irradiation experiments with aqueous solutions of melamine and related triazine derivatives were carried out in the presence or absence of molecular oxygen. Substrate degradation, total organic carbon and evolution profiles of intermediates were monitored. Relevant mineralization of the substrates was observed, in particular for melamine, its extent depending on the concentration of dissolved O2 and on the number of amino substituents at the s-triazine moiety of the substrate. In all experiments, cyanuric acid was found to be the only persistent final product. Experimental results indicate that the route of reactions leading to mineralization is independent of that leading to amino group substitution. Mechanistic hypotheses are proposed and compared with findings coming from TiO2-based photocatalysis.