Trichloroethylene (TCE), a volatile industrial solvent used for degreasing metal prior to electroplating has been identified as a human carcinogen and contaminant by the US EPA. Estimated to be in 34% of the nation’s drinking supply, with a maximum contaminant level set at 5ppb. The photodegradation of TCE coupled with pure 15 nm Anatase Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) and pure 15 nm Rutile TiO2 Nanoparticles (NPs) was investigated. Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to analyze aqueous samples of known TCE concentrations and TiO2 NPs pre and post treatment with UV-light at 254 nm using Rayonet Photochemical Reactor. The results from this study agree with previous studies in the field that TCE degradation is achievable only when UV light is coupled with TiO2 NPs. Final degraded results from both, 15 nm Anatase Titanium Dioxide and 15 nm Rutile TiO2 NPs, achieved were under the US EPA limit of 5ppb.
