Photocatalytic degradation of azo dye Orange II in aqueous solutions using copper-impregnated titania

During dyeing process, industries consume large quantity of water and subsequently produce large volume of wastewater. This wastewater is rich in color and contains different dyes. Orange II is one of them. In this article, metal-impregnated TiO₂ P-25 catalyst was used to enhance the photocatalytic degradation of Orange II dye. Photodegradation percentage was followed spectrophotometrically by the measurements of absorbance at λ _max = 483 nm. The effect of copper-impregnated TiO₂ P-25 photocatalyst for the degradation of Orange II has been investigated in terms of percentage removal of color, chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total organic carbon (TOC). As such 98 % color removal efficiency, 97 % percentage removal of COD and 89 % percentage removal of TOC was achieved with TiO₂ P-25/Cu catalysts under typical conditions. Copper-impregnated TiO₂ P-25 photocatalyst showed comparatively higher activity than UV/H₂O₂ homogeneous photodegradation. The relative electrical energy consumption for photocatalytic degradation was considerably lower with TiO₂ P-25/Cu photocatalyst than that with homogeneous photodegradation. Transmission electron microscopic analysis was used for catalyst characterization.     

Efficiency removal of phenol, lead and cadmium by means of UV/TiO2/H2O2 processes

A variety of processes can be used in treatment of industrial wastewaters. The relatively newest of which is photo catalysis with titanium dioxide which may also be used plus hydrogen peroxide to improve the treatment rate. In this study, photo catalysis/ hydrogen peroxide processes had been employed for the removal of phenol, lead and cadmium by three different pHs of 3.5, 7 and 11. The treatment tests were also accomplished without UV irradiation. In both experiments, the variables were pH and concentrations of reagent chemicals, but the detention time was kept constant (180 min). Results indicated that the optimum efficiencies of phenol and Cd removal were 76 % and 97.7 % at pH=11, respectively, and for lead, it was 98.8% in all pHs. In other words, no pH dependency was regarded for lead treatment. These results were all obtained by simultaneous use of UV irradiation with 3 mL/L H₂O₂ and 0.8 g/L TiO₂. Finally, the best pH for treatment, when all the three contaminants are presented is considered to be at 11. These results should be regarded by all industrial treatment plants which have experienced the problem of these three special contaminants in their effluents.     

硅藻土-无定形碳-氧化铁三元复合体系降解三硝基甲苯的研究

煤系共伴生非金属矿产开发及综合利用难度大。本文针对先锋褐煤共伴生硅藻土高有机质、高铁的特点,提出硅藻土原矿经提纯处理后,在N2作为保护气氛下,高温煅烧形成硅藻土-无定形碳-氧化铁三元复合材料,在类Fenton体系下,去除TNT污染物的开发利用技术路线。本文考察了硅藻土处理条件、反应时间、H2O2浓度、三元复合硅藻土投加量、pH值等因素对TNT降解效能的影响。研究表明三元复合硅藻土对TNT吸附降解的最佳工艺条件为:硅藻土用量为2 g/L,H2O2(30%)4 m L/L,pH值1,反应时间2.5 h。该工艺条件下,50 mg/L TNT去除率为98%。     

A novel continuous magnetic nano-Fe<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript>/perlite fixed bed reactor for catalytic wet peroxide oxidation of dyes: reactor structure

In the present work, a continuous catalytic wet peroxide oxidation fixed bed reactor was employed to treat a simulated wastewater sample with malachite green dye, as a contaminant. Natural perlite particle-supported nano-Fe₃O₄ catalyst was used as a fixed bed inside a reactor, and it was immobilized by a persistent magnetic field. The range of (perlite) particle sizes was from 100 to 1000 nm. The effects of various operating parameters, including temperature of the reactor, pH, initial hydrogen peroxide concentration and initial dye concentration, were investigated on the percentage removal of malachite green dye. Load of catalyst of 2 g and volumetric flow rate of 1 L/h were selected for all the tests. Maximum malachite green degradation was 99.5 ± 0.3%. This removal percentage was attained at temperature of 80 °C, pH = 6, initial dye concentration of 6 mg/L and initial hydrogen peroxide concentration of 100 mg/L. The process was isotherm, and the catalyst showed high catalytic activity in the steady-state condition. The loss of catalyst was less than 0.3%.     

Photocatalytic ozonation of 2, 4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid in water with a new TiO2 fiber

More effective techniques are required to mineralize the increasing number of recalcitrant organic contaminants at low concentrations in the water environment using advanced oxidation process. Though relatively new, photocatalytic ozonation (O₃/UV/TiO₂) is considered superior to ozonation (O₃) and photocatalysis (UV/TiO₂), due to synergistic effects and use of immobilized TiO₂ photocatalysts is a milestone in advance oxidation process. This article aimed to elucidate 2, 4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2, 4-D) mineralization characteristics in low aqueous solutions by O₃/UV/TiO₂ using the world’s first high-strength TiO₂ fiber catalyst in laboratory experiments. 2, 4-D degradation and TOC removal in O₃, UV/TiO₂ and O₃/UV/TiO₂ followed pseudo-first order reaction kinetic. The removal rates for 2, 4-D and TOC in O₃/UV/TiO₂ were respectively about 1.5 and 2.4-fold larger than the summation of the corresponding values in O₃ and UV/TiO₂. The O₃/UV/TiO₂ process was characterized by short-lived few aromatic intermediates, faster degradations of aliphatic intermediates and dechlorination as a major step in 2, 4-D mineralization. The significantly enhanced 2, 4-D mineralization in the process was attributed to increased ozone decomposition and reduced electron-hole recombination on TiO₂ surface resulting to a large number of OH generation. The O₃/UV/TiO₂ process with the TiO₂ fiber catalyst was very promising with respect to the major challenges being faced in AOP involving TiO₂, namely separation of powder catalyst in suspension and reduced efficiency of immobilized catalysts (e.g. TiO₂ film/fiber).     

Hydrogen peroxide leaching of hydrolyzed titania residue prepared from mechanically activated Panzhihua ilmenite leached by hydrochloric acid

The hydrolyzed titania residue with mainly precipitated hydrated TiO₂ is prepared from mechanically activated Panzhihua ilmenite leached by hydrochloric acid. We use H₂O₂ as a coordination agent to leach Ti from the hydrolyzed titania residue. The effects of H₂O₂ to-hydrolyzed titania residue mass ratio, leaching pH value, leaching temperature, leaching time, and H₂O₂ concentration on leaching of hydrolyzed titania residue by H₂O₂ are investigated. The recovery of Ti is above 98% under the optimal conditions. XRD shows that the peroxo-titania powder prepared by boiling the aqueous titanium peroxide solution is crystalline anatase phase. A well-crystallized anatase TiO₂ and rutile TiO₂ can be obtained through calcining at the temperature of 800 and 1000 °C, respectively. EDS shows that the impurities including silicon are enriched in the leaching slag. Little Si is detected as the only impurity in the synthetic TiO₂ due to the weak alkaline condition of leaching.     

Oxidation of Sb(III) to Sb(V) by O2 and H2O2 in aqueous solutions

The rates of Sb(III) oxidation by O₂ and H₂O₂ were determined in homogeneous aqueous solutions. Above pH 10, the oxidation reaction of Sb(III) with O₂ was first order with respect to the Sb(III) concentration and inversely proportional to the H⁺ concentrations at a constant O₂ content of 0.22 × 10⁻³ M. Pseudo-first-order rate coefficients, k_obs, ranged from 3.5 × 10⁻⁸ s⁻¹ to 2.5 × 10⁻⁶ s⁻¹ at pH values between 10.9 and 12.9. The relationship between k_obs and pH was:

     

Oxidation of iron (II) nanomolar with H2O2 in seawater

The oxidation of Fe(II) with H₂O₂ at nanomolar levels in seawater have been studied using an UV-Vis spectrophotometric system equipped with a long liquid waveguide capillary flow cell. The effect of pH (6.5 to 8.2), H₂O₂ (7.2 × 10⁻⁸ M to 5.2 × 10⁻⁷ M), HCO₃⁻ (2.05 mM to 4.05 mM) and Fe(II) (5 nM to 500 nM) as a function of temperature (3 to 35 °C) on the oxidation of Fe(II) are presented. The oxidation rate is linearly related to the pH with a slope of 0.89 ± 0.01 independent of the concentration of HCO₃⁻. A kinetic model for the reaction has been developed to consider the interactions of Fe(II) with the major ions in seawater. The model has been used to examine the effect of pH, concentrations of Fe(II), H₂O₂ and HCO₃⁻ as a function of temperature. FeOH⁺ is the most important contributing species to the overall rate of oxidation from pH 6 to pH 8. At a pH higher than 8, the Fe(OH)₂ and Fe(CO₃)₂²⁻ species contribute over 20% to the rates. Model results show that when the concentration of O₂ is two orders of magnitude higher than the concentration of H₂O₂, the oxidation with O₂ also needs to be considered. The rate constants for the five most kinetically active species (Fe²⁺, FeOH⁺, Fe(OH)₂, FeCO₃, Fe(CO₃)₂²⁻) in seawater as a function of temperature have been determined. The kinetic model is also valid in pure water with different concentrations of HCO₃⁻ and the conditions found in fresh waters.     

Adsorption of reactive dyes from aqueous solutions by tannery sludge developed activated carbon: Kinetic and equilibrium studies

Adsorption kinetic and equilibrium studies of two reactive dyes, namely, Reactive Red 31 and Reactive Red 2 were conducted. The equilibrium studies were conducted for various operational parameters such as initial dye concentration, pH, agitation speed, adsorbent dosage and temperature. The initial dye concentration was varied from 10 - 60 mg/L, pH from 2–11, agitation speed from 100–140 rpm, adsorbent dosage from 0.5 g to 2.5 g and temperature from 30 °C -50 °C respectively. The activated carbon of particle size 600 μm was developed from preliminary tannery sludge. The dye removal capacity of the two reactive red dyes decreased with increasing pH. The zero point charge for the sludge carbon was 9.0 and 7.0 for the two dyes, respectively. Batch kinetic data investigations on the removal of reactive dyes using tannery sludge activated carbon have been well described by the lagergren plots. It was suggested that the Pseudo second order adsorption mechanism was predominant for the sorption of the reactive dyes onto the tannery sludge based carbon. Thus, the adsorption phenomenon was suggested as a chemical process. The adsorption data fitted well with Langmuir model than the Freundlich model. The maximum adsorption capacity(q⁰) from Langmuir isotherm were found to have increased in the range of 23.15–39.37 mg/g and 47.62–55.87 mg/g for reactive dyes reactive red 31 and reactive red 2, respectively.     

Comparative study on the photodegradation of Indigo Caramine dye using commercial TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> and natural rutile

The photocatalytic degradation of Indigo Caramine dye using commercial TiO₂ and fine grained natural rutile has been carried out. The commercial TiO₂ and natural rutile were characterized using powder X- ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transformed infra red spectroscopy (FTIR). The study on the photodegradation of Indigo Caramine dye using commercial TiO₂ and natural rutile were investigated both under Solar and UV irradiation. The degradation of Indigo Caramine dye was checked by the following parameters like Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), %T, irradiation time and duration. In both cases using commercial TiO₂ and natural rutile, the COD of the dye solution was reduced from 288 mg/L to less than 20 mg/L, and similarly the %T was increased from 76% to 97% and the percentage decomposition upto 97% within the irradiation duration of 3.5 hrs. The preliminary results obtained on the photodegradation of Indigo Caramine dye are highly encouraging and further work is being carried out for the use of the natural rutile or anatase sources for the other organic decomposition and treatment of industrial effluents.     

The effect of TiO2 and Fe2O3 on metapelitic assemblages at greenschist and amphibolite facies conditions: mineral equilibria calculations in the system K2O–FeO–MgO–Al2O3–SiO2–H2O–TiO2–Fe2O3

Mineral equilibria calculations in the system K₂O–FeO–MgO–Al₂O₃–SiO₂–H₂O–TiO₂–Fe₂O₃ (KFMASHTO) using thermocalc and its internally consistent thermodynamic dataset constrain the effect of TiO₂ and Fe₂O₃ on greenschist and amphibolite facies mineral equilibria in metapelites. The end‐member data and activity–composition relationships for biotite and chloritoid, calibrated with natural rock data, and activity–composition data for garnet, calibrated using experimental data, provide new constraints on the effects of TiO₂ and Fe₂O₃ on the stability of these minerals. Thermodynamic models for ilmenite–hematite and magnetite–ulvospinel solid solutions accounting for order–disorder in these phases allow the distribution of TiO₂ and Fe₂O₃ between oxide minerals and silicate minerals to be calculated. The calculations indicate that small to moderate amounts of TiO₂ and Fe₂O₃ in typical metapelitic bulk compositions have little effect on silicate mineral equilibria in metapelites at greenschist to amphibolite facies, compared with those calculated in KFMASH. The addition of large amounts of TiO₂ to typical pelitic bulk compositions has little effect on the stability of silicate assemblages; in contrast, rocks rich in Fe₂O₃ develop a markedly different metamorphic succession from that of common Barrovian sequences. In particular, Fe₂O₃‐rich metapelites show a marked reduction in the stability fields of staurolite and garnet to higher pressures, in comparison to those predicted by KFMASH grids.     

Evidence for the production of hydrogen peroxide in rainwater by lightning during thunderstorms

Rain samples were collected sequentially from individual events at a site in Miami, Florida, USA, from April 1995 to October 1996, and analyzed for H₂O₂, major anions, pH, temperature, and rainfall amounts. The measurements showed that in the absence of lightning, the concentration of H₂O₂, like that of sulfate and other conservative constituents, either remained fairly constant or decreased as a function of time during the storms depending on whether rainout or washout process was the dominant pathway for the removal of atmospheric H₂O₂. However, during the course of several thunderstorms, H₂O₂ concentration increased significantly with time, whereas the concentration of sulfate and other conservative constituents remained fairly constant or decreased as a function of time. These observations indicate that substantial amounts of H₂O₂ in rainwater were produced by lightning activities during thunderstorms. Possible mechanisms are proposed here.     

Photocatalytic activity evaluation of TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> nanoparticles based on COD analyses for water treatment applications: a standardization attempt

Evaluation of the photocatalytic activities of TiO₂ nanomaterials based on the chemical oxygen demand (COD) analyses under identical experimental conditions was not previously reported. In this work, COD has been selected as an adequate industrial water quality measure toward the establishment of a representative standard test method. The initial COD values of six organic pollutants representing dye, surfactants, phenols and alcohol were set at 30 ± 2 mg/L. Ten of different commercial and synthesized TiO₂ samples representing anatase, rutile and mixed phases were used and characterized. The data of photocatalytic processes were compared to that obtained using the commonly widespread Degussa-P25 TiO₂ (TD). The COD of all pollutants was completely removed by TD at UV exposure dose ≤9.36 mWh/cm². Consequently, the maximum irradiation dose was set at this value in all experiments. The percentages of COD removal as well as the values of the accumulated UV doses required for complete removal of pollutants were measured using the different TiO₂ samples. TiO₂ samples show different performance abilities toward the various pollutants compared to TD. Based on the obtained data, TiO₂ photocatalysts were divided into two categories according to the hydroxyl radical formation rates. Comparison with previous studies reveals that the photocatalytic efficiency evaluation depends on the method of measurement. COD is recommended to be used as an adequate technique of analysis that meets the purpose of water treatment applications.     

The yield and isotopic composition of radiolytic H2, a potential energy source for the deep subsurface biosphere

The production rate and isotopic composition of H₂ derived from radiolytic reactions in H₂O were measured to assess the importance of radiolytic H₂ in subsurface environments and to determine whether its isotopic signature can be used as a diagnostic tool. Saline and pure, aerobic and anaerobic water samples with pH values of 4, 7, and 10 were irradiated in sealed vials at room temperature with an artificial γ source, and the H₂ abundance in the headspace and its isotopic composition were measured. The H₂ concentrations were observed to increase linearly with dosage at a rate of 0.40 ± 0.04 molecules (100 eV)⁻¹ within the dosage range of 900 to 3500 Gray (Gy; Gy = 1 J Kg⁻¹) with no indication of a maximum limit on H₂ concentration. At ∼2000 Gy, the H₂ concentration varied only by 16% across the experimental range of pH, salinity, and O₂. Based upon this measured yield and H₂ yields for α and β particles, a radiolytic H₂ production rate of 10⁻⁹ to 10⁻⁴ nM s⁻¹ was estimated for the range of radioactive element concentrations and porosities typical of crustal rocks. The δD of H₂ was independent of the dosage, pH (except for pH 4), salinity, and O₂ and yielded an αD_H2O-H2 of 2.05 ± 0.07 (αD_H2O-H2 = (D/H)_H2O to (D/H)_H2), slightly less than predicted radiolytic models. Although this radiolytic fractionation value is significantly heavier than that of equilibrium isotopic exchange between H₂ and H₂O, the isotopic exchange rate between H₂ and H₂O will erase the heavy δD of radiolytic H₂ if the age of the groundwater is greater than ∼10³ to 10⁴ yr. The millimolar concentrations of H₂ observed in the groundwater of several Precambrian Shields are consistent with radiolysis of water that has resided in the subsurface for a few million years. These concentrations are well above those required to support H₂-utilizing microorganisms and to inhibit H₂-producing, fermentative microorganisms.     

Impact of natural organic matter on H2O2-mediated oxidation of Fe(II) in a simulated freshwater system

The oxidation of Fe(II) by H₂O₂ has been studied in the presence of Suwannee River fulvic acid, a standard form of natural organic matter, by adding inorganic Fe(II) to solutions containing both H₂O₂ and fulvic acid and monitoring the total Fe(II) concentration using a luminol chemiluminescence method. At pH 8.4 and in the absence of competing metals, Suwannee River fulvic acid significantly retards the rate of Fe(II) oxidation due to gradual formation of a species that is oxidized more slowly than inorganic Fe(II) by both O₂ and H₂O₂. It is suggested that rapid formation of a weak Fe(II)-fulvic acid complex that is not readily oxidized by H₂O₂ is the cause of the reduction in the initial oxidation rate, and that the subsequent further reduction in oxidation rate is a result of the formation of a second type of Fe(II)-fulvic acid complex that is resistant to both O₂ and H₂O₂ oxidation. A kinetic model has been developed that supports this conceptual model. The results demonstrate that, under certain conditions, natural organic matter may stabilize Fe(II) in the presence of elevated H₂O₂ concentrations, significantly increasing the lifetime of ferrous iron and reducing the flux of hydroxyl radicals produced through this oxidation pathway.     

Adsorptive removal of textile reactive dye using Posidonia oceanica (L.) fibrous biomass

The Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica (L.) leaf sheaths were used as low cost, available and renewable biological adsorbent for the removal of reactive textile dye from aqueous solutions. Batch experiments were carried out for sorption kinetics and isotherms. Operating variables studied were temperature, pH and chemical pre-treatment. Biosorption capacity seems to be enhanced by increasing the temperature. Maximum colour removal was observed at pH 5. Pre-treating fibres with H₃PO₄ and HNO₃ solutions increased the adsorption efficiency up to 80 %. Experimental sorption kinetic data were fitted to both Lagergren first-order and pseudo-second-order models and the data were found to follow first-order equation for raw fibres and pseudo-second-order for pre-treated ones. Equilibrium data were well represented by the Freundlich isotherm model for all tested adsorption systems. Besides, the thermodynamic study has showed that the dye adsorption phenomenon onto P. oceanica biomass was favourable, endothermic and spontaneous.     

Sorption of uranyl and arsenate on SiO2, Al2O3, TiO2 and FeOOH

Migration of uranium and arsenic in aquatic environments is often controlled by sorption on minerals present along the water flow path. To investigate the sorption behaviour, batch experiments were conducted for uranium and arsenic as single components and also solutions containing both uranium and arsenic in the presence of SiO₂, Al₂O₃, TiO₂ and FeOOH at a pH ranging from 3 to 9. In solutions containing only U(VI) or As(V) with the minerals, the sorption of U(VI) was low at acidic pH range and increases with increasing pH, whereas As(V) showed opposite sorption behaviour to Al₂O₃, TiO₂ and FeOOH from acidic pH range to alkaline condition. For the As(V)–SiO₂ system, the sorption was low for almost all pH. Sorption of U(VI) and As(V) on SiO₂ and FeOOH is almost similar in solutions containing either U(VI) or As(V) separately, or both together. In the U(VI)–As(V)–Al₂O₃ system, a significant retardation in uranyl sorption and an enhancement in arsenate sorption on Al₂O₃ were observed for a wide range of pH. The sorption behaviour of U(VI) and As(V) was changed when Al₂O₃ was replaced by TiO₂, where an increase in sorption was observed for both elements. The sorption behaviour of uranyl and arsenate in the U(VI)–As(V)–TiO₂ system gives evidence for the formation of uranyl–arsenate complexes. The change in sorption retardation/enhancement of U(VI) and As(V) could be explained by the formation of uranyl–arsenate complexes or due to the competitive sorption between uranyl and arsenate species.     

High temperature calorimetric studies of heat of solution of NiO, CuO, La2O3, TiO2, HfO2 in sodium silicate liquids

The enthalpies of solution of La₂O₃, TiO₂, HfO₂, NiO and CuO were measured in sodium silicate melts at high temperature. When the heat of fusion was available, we derived the corresponding liquid-liquid enthalpies of mixing. These data, combined with previously published work, provide insight into the speciation reactions in sodium silicate melts. The heat of solution of La₂O₃ in these silicate solvents is strongly exothermic and varies little with La₂O₃ concentration. The variation of heat of solution with composition of the liquid reflects the ability of La(III) to perturb the transient silicate framework and compete with other cations for oxygen. The enthalpy of solution of TiO₂ is temperature-dependent and indicates that the formation of Na-O-Si species is favored over Na-O-Ti at low temperature. The speciation reactions can be interpreted in terms of recent spectroscopic studies of titanium-bearing melts which identify a dual role of Ti⁴⁺ as both a network-former end network-modifier. The heats of solution of oxides of transition elements (Ni and Cu) are endothermic, concentration-dependent and reach a maximum with concentration. These indicate a charge balanced substitution which diminishes the network modifying role of Na⁺ by addition of Ni²⁺ or Cu²⁺. The transition metal is believed to be in tetrahedral coordination, charge balanced by the sodium cation in the melts.     

Kinetics of H2-O2-H2O redox equilibria and formation of metastable H2O2 under low temperature hydrothermal conditions

Hydrothermal experiments were conducted to evaluate the kinetics of H_2(aq) oxidation in the homogeneous H₂-O₂-H₂O system at conditions reflecting subsurface/near-seafloor hydrothermal environments (55-250 °C and 242-497 bar). The kinetics of the water-forming reaction that controls the fundamental equilibrium between dissolved H_2(aq) and O_2(aq), are expected to impose significant constraints on the redox gradients that develop when mixing occurs between oxygenated seawater and high-temperature anoxic vent fluid at near-seafloor conditions. Experimental data indicate that, indeed, the kinetics of H_2(aq)-O_2(aq) equilibrium become slower with decreasing temperature, allowing excess H_2(aq) to remain in solution. Sluggish reaction rates of H_2(aq) oxidation suggest that active microbial populations in near-seafloor and subsurface environments could potentially utilize both H_2(aq) and O_2(aq), even at temperatures lower than 40 °C due to H_2(aq) persistence in the seawater/vent fluid mixtures. For these H₂-O₂ disequilibrium conditions, redox gradients along the seawater/hydrothermal fluid mixing interface are not sharp and microbially-mediated H_2(aq) oxidation coupled with a lack of other electron acceptors (e.g. nitrate) could provide an important energy source available at low-temperature diffuse flow vent sites.More importantly, when H_2(aq)-O_2(aq) disequilibrium conditions apply, formation of metastable hydrogen peroxide is observed. The yield of H₂O_2(aq) synthesis appears to be enhanced under conditions of elevated H_2(aq)/O_2(aq) molar ratios that correspond to abundant H_2(aq) concentrations. Formation of metastable H₂O₂ is expected to affect the distribution of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) owing to the existence of an additional strong oxidizing agent. Oxidation of magnetite and/or Fe⁺⁺ by hydrogen peroxide could also induce formation of metastable hydroxyl radicals (•OH) through Fenton-type reactions, further broadening the implications of hydrogen peroxide in hydrothermal environments.     

H2O diffusion in dacitic and andesitic melts

The diffusion of water in dacitic and andesitic melts was investigated at temperatures of 1458 to 1858 K and pressures between 0.5 and 1.5 GPa using the diffusion couple technique. Pairs of nominally dry glasses and hydrous glasses containing between 1.5 and 6.3 wt.% dissolved H₂O were heated for 60 to 480 s in a piston cylinder apparatus. Concentration profiles of hydrous species (OH groups and H₂O molecules) and total water (C_H2Ot = sum of OH and H₂O) were measured along the cylindrical axis of the diffusion sample using IR microspectroscopy. Electron microprobe traverses show no significant change in relative proportions of anhydrous components along H₂O profiles, indicating that our data can be treated as effective binary interdiffusion between H₂O and the rest of the silicate melt. Bulk water diffusivity (D_H2Ot) was derived from profiles of total water using a modified Boltzmann-Matano method as well as using fittings assuming a functional relationship between D_H2Ot and C_H2Ot. In dacitic melts D_H2Ot is proportional to C_H2Ot up to 6 wt.%. In andesitic melts the dependence of D_H2Ot on C_H2Ot is less pronounced. A pressure effect on water diffusivity could not be resolved for either dacitic or andesitic melt in the range 0.5 to 1.5 GPa. Combining our results with previous studies on water diffusion in rhyolite and basalt show that for a given water content D_H2Ot increases monotonically with increasing melt depolymerization at temperatures >1500 K. Assuming an Arrhenian behavior in the whole compositional range, the following formulation was derived to estimate D_H2Ot (m²/s) at 1 wt.% H₂O_t in melts with rhyolitic to andesitic composition as a function of T (K), P (MPa) and S (wt.% SiO₂):