Solar reclamation of agro-wastewater polluted with eight pesticides by heterogeneous photocatalysis using a modular facility. A case study

I Garrido; P Flores; P Hellín; N Vela; S Navarro; J Fenoll

doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.126156

Solar reclamation of agro-wastewater polluted with eight pesticides by heterogeneous photocatalysis using a modular facility. A case study

Chemosphere. 2020 Jun:249:126156. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.126156. Epub 2020 Feb 7.

Authors

I Garrido¹, P Flores², P Hellín², N Vela³, S Navarro⁴, J Fenoll²

Affiliations

¹ Sustainability and Quality Group of Fruit and Vegetable Products. Murcia Institute of Agri-Food Research and Development, C/ Mayor S/n. La Alberca, 30150, Murcia, Spain. Electronic address: isabel.garrido3@carm.es.
² Sustainability and Quality Group of Fruit and Vegetable Products. Murcia Institute of Agri-Food Research and Development, C/ Mayor S/n. La Alberca, 30150, Murcia, Spain.
³ Applied Technology Group to Environmental Health, Faculty of Health Science, Catholic University of Murcia, Campus de Los Jerónimos, S/n. Guadalupe, 30107, Murcia, Spain.
⁴ Department of Agricultural Chemistry, Geology and Pedology, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Murcia, Campus Universitario de Espinardo, 30100, Murcia, Spain.

PMID: 32062216
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.126156

Abstract

In this work, we have studied the removal of eight pesticides, commonly used in fruit crops, in agro-wastewater generated in commercial farms by the cleaning of trace of phytosanitary products in containers and tanks from treatment equipment. The studied pesticides were acetamiprid, cyproconazole, cyprodinil, difenoconazole, fenhexamid, hexythiazox, myclobutanil and thiamethoxam. The trials were performed in a pilot facility located in Murcia (SE of Spain), using natural sunlight and titanium dioxide (TiO₂) in tandem with Na₂S₂O₈. Five photocatalytic treatments were carried out during autumn 2017. Results show that the mean (n = 5) final amount was about 13% of the initial pesticide mass present in agro-wastewater. Therefore, we have proved that this technology could be used for tackling the elimination of pesticide residues in agro-wastewater and has favourable prospects of being applied in the water treatment sector.

Keywords: Agro-wastewater; Pesticides; Pilot plant; Solar photocatalysis.

MeSH terms

Neonicotinoids
Nitriles
Pesticide Residues
Pesticides / analysis*
Pesticides / chemistry
Photochemical Processes
Sunlight
Titanium
Triazoles
Waste Disposal, Fluid / methods*
Wastewater / chemistry
Water Pollutants, Chemical / analysis*
Water Purification / methods

Substances

Neonicotinoids
Nitriles
Pesticide Residues
Pesticides
Triazoles
Waste Water
Water Pollutants, Chemical
titanium dioxide
acetamiprid
cyproconazole
systhane
Titanium