A Bowdoin College chemistry major is testing catalysts that use light to break down phthalates, plasticizers linked to hormone disruption. The student compared titanium dioxide and bismuth oxychloride, finding that bismuth oxychloride degraded phthalates more completely into carbon dioxide and water. The work aims to reduce toxic byproducts, not just transform the original pollutant. The research is still at the lab scale, but the student notes the findings could eventually inform wastewater treatment engineering. Presentations at two chemistry conferences this year will put the results in front of a wider audience. If the catalysts prove effective and economical in real water systems, this could support better removal of a common environmental contaminant.
