Novel technological approaches are needed to ensure chemical-free elimination of pesticides avoiding any changes in the existing chemical conditions in water. In comparison to the pure physical treatment (membrane separation or retention by adsorption on activated carbon, or combination of both), the strong oxidative processes can transform the target compounds into non-toxic substances.  This study is aimed at the application of two methods, electrochemical oxidation and photo-irradiation, for degradation of pesticides which have been often found in drinking water supplies such as atrazine, bentazone, bromacil, metolachlor, propazine and simazine.  Waters containing these pesticides are treated using two experimental set-ups: a plant with an electro-chemical flow-through reactor with BDD (Boron Doped Diamond) electrodes and an UV-reactor with UV medium-pressure mercury lamp, with and without TiO2 as a catalyst.  Both methods are compared based on the calculated �apparent rate constant� (kap) and the energy consumption per mg of degraded pesticide.

Degradation of pesticides in water by electrochemical oxidation and UV-irradiation

248th National Meeting (2014)

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