In this work the coupling of ultrasounds to supercritical extraction with carbon dioxide is evaluated as a greener remediation technique for soils contaminated with pesticides. The experimental study was carried out with samples of soil spiked with atrazine, a contaminant of widespread use that belongs to the group of the organophosphates, which normally requires the recourse to co-solvents for improving its extraction by supercritical carbon dioxide.<br/>The influence of the operating temperature and pressure on the extraction of atrazine was studied, showing that the best operating conditions were 313.15 K and 245 bar, at which the percentage of extraction of the pesticide was 91 ± 2%. The comparison with the results obtained by conventional supercritical extraction with carbon dioxide showed that the association of ultrasounds enhanced the extraction of atrazine by more than 90%.<br/>This study demonstrates the possibility of increasing the yield of supercritical extraction by coupling ultrasounds instead of adding co-solvents, which is a greener alternative for removing contaminants, such as pesticides, from soil matrices.

New green remediation technology Ultrasound-assisted supercritical extraction applied to soil remediation

252nd National Meeting (2016)

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