Degradation of alachlor and pyrimethanil by combined photo-Fenton and biological oxidation

Interaction behavior, mechanisms and hazardous changes of microplastics on single and binary component pesticide in the environment and food: Diethofencarb and pyrimethanil

In order to investigate the adsorption behavior and mechanism of microplastics (MPs) on multiple coexisting pesticides in practical systems, as well as their hazardous changes upon binding, diethofencarb and pyrimethanil were selected to be studied with four MPs. The adsorption rate of both pesticides would be faster in the binary-component case, conforming to pseudo-second-order kinetics, with adsorption sites and chemical adsorption dominating. And the more hydrophobic the pesticide, the faster the adsorption rate and the higher the adsorption capacity. Diethofencarb belonged to monolayer adsorption, whereas pyrimethanil belonged to monomolecular combined with multilayer adsorption, depending on the size of pesticides. And the adsorption process was both competitive and synergistic when pesticides coexist. In addition, the adsorption process was a spontaneous heat absorption process. Electrostatic forces have little effect on adsorption, while the adsorption capacity can be altered by the adsorption sites and hydrophobicity of MPs. The salting-out effect also facilitated the adsorption process. As for changes in hazard, the bioluminescence of A. fischeri wasn't significantly inhibited, lacking of acute environmental toxicity. However, in vitro digestion experiments demonstrated a significant increase in bioavailability of diethofencarb and pyrimethanil in combination with MPs. These findings suggest the stronger adsorption behaviors and higher loading capacities between pesticides and MPs could lead more serious hazards to the human body, which deserves further attention.

Applications of hollow nanostructures in water treatment considering organic, inorganic, and bacterial pollutants

One of the major issues of modern society is water contamination with different organic, inorganic, and contaminants bacteria. Finding cost-effective and efficient materials and methods for water treatment and environment remediation is among the scientists' most important considerations. Hollow-structured nanomaterials, including hollow fiber membranes, hollow spheres, hollow nanoboxes, etc., have shown an exciting capability for wastewater refinement approaches, including membrane technology, adsorption, and photocatalytic procedure due to their extremely high specific surface area, high porosity, unique morphology, and low density. Diverse hollow nanostructures could potentially eliminate organic contaminants, including dyes, antibiotics, oil/water emulsions, pesticides, and other phenolic compounds, inorganic pollutants, such as heavy metal ions, salts, phosphate, bromate, and other ions, and bacteria contaminations. Here, a comprehensive overview of hollow nanostructures' fabrication and modification, water contaminant classification, and recent studies in the water treatment field using hollow-structured nanomaterials with a comparative attitude have been provided, indicating the privilege abd detriments of this class of nanomaterials. Eventually, the future outlook of employing hollow nanomaterials in water refinery systems and the upcoming challenges arising in scaling up are also propounded.

Rapid adsorption of triclosan and p-chloro-m-xylenol by nitrogen-doped magnetic porous carbon

Contamination of water resources with organic substances like phenolic fungicides is undesirable due to the improvement of living standards, the huge production of chemicals, the heavy consumption of daily chemical products, and the growth of the population. In this study, Co-based zeolitic imidazole framework-67 (ZIF-67(Co)) was synthesized using the "one-pot method," and the best Co-based N-doped magnetic porous carbon (Co-NPC) was prepared by ZIF-67(Co) carbonization in an atmosphere of N₂. The materials were tested using an X-ray diffractometer (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), infrared spectroscopy (IR), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), N₂ adsorption-desorption, and magnetization analysis. These characterizations indicated that the Co-NPC was successfully prepared. With the original morphology of ZIF-67(Co) crystals, the Co-NPC also has good porosity, magnetic properties, and a large specific surface area. In water, Co-NPC-800 has a good adsorption capacity for triclosan (TCS) and p-chloro-m-xylenol (PCMX), which are kinds of aromatic fungicides. The adsorption of Co-NPC-800 on both reached equilibrium within 3 min, which is in accordance with the quasi-second-order kinetic model. At 298 K, the maximum adsorption capacity of Co-NPC-800 for TCS and PCMX was 163 and 39 mg·g^-1, respectively. The adsorption of TCS and PCMX by Co-NPC-800 is a spontaneous endothermic process with reduced entropy. The combination of Co-NPC-800 and phenols come from multiple actions of electrostatic, π-π, and hydrogen bond effects. Moreover, Co-NPC-800 can be regenerated through simple washing and can be reused at least three times by a magnet. The Co-NPC-800 has good porosity, large specific surface area, comparable adsorption capacity, rapid adsorption time, so it could be broadly used in sewage treatments and other environmental fields.

Experimental and theoretical investigation of acetamiprid adsorption on nano carbons and novel PVC membrane electrode for acetamiprid measurement

Acetamiprid removal was investigated by synthesized Graphene oxide, multiwall nanotube and graphite from an aqueous solution. For this propose, FT-IR, XRD, UV–Vis, SEM and EDS were used to characterize the synthesized nano adsorbents and to determine the removal process. A novel PVC membrane electrode as selective electrode made for determining the concentration of acetamiprid. Batch adsorption studies were conducted to investigate the effect of temperature, initial acetamiprid concentration, adsorbent type and contact time as important adsorption parameters. The maximum equilibrium time was found to be 15 min for graphene oxide. The kinetics studies showed that the adsorption of acetamiprid followed the pseudo-second-order kinetics mechnism. All the adsorption equilibrium data were well fitted to the Langmuir isotherm model and maximum monolayer adsorption capacity 99 percent. Docking data of adsorption have resulted in the same as experimental data in good manner and confirmed the adsorption process.

Characterization and adsorptive behaviour of snail shell-rice husk (SS-RH) calcined particles (CPs) towards cationic dye

In this study, a low-cost composite adsorbent was prepared from snail shell and rice husk (SS-RH) through calcination for brilliant green dye (BGD) adsorption from aqueous solution. Six two-parameter and three three-parameter isotherm models were used to fit the experimental data by both linear and non-linear regression methods using ten error functions. Linear and non-linear regression analysis coupled with linear and non-linear fit error functions all revealed Langmuir and Sip as two- and three-parameter isotherm models well-fitted for BGD uptake from aqueous solution using calcined particles (CPs) of SS-RH. Chi-square (χ²) error function proved to be the best applicable predictive error function for the two-parameter isotherm study while sum of absolute error (EABS), hybrid functional error (HYBRID) and normalized standard deviation (NSD) are the best error functions for non-linear Redlich-Peterson, Sips and Toth three-parameter isotherm models respectively. Irregular surface texture was observed for the calcined particles of SS-RH as revealed by SEM with BGD filling the opening pores after adsorption. FTIR revealed shift in spectrum broad peaks after adsorption. EDS exhibited active mixed metal oxides formation before adsorption with the observance of weight percent change after adsorption.

Theoretical investigation of the mechanism for the reductive dehalogenation of methyl halides mediated by the CoI-based compounds cobalamin and cobaloxime

Theoretical calculations focusing on the cleavage of the C-X bond in methyl halides (CH₃X; X = Cl, Br, I) as mediated by Co^I-based systems have been carried out using the hybrid functional ωB97-XD together with the basis set 6-311++G(2d,2p). A total of seven Co^I-based compounds were evaluated: cob[I]alamin (Co^ICbl) in its base-on form and cobaloxime (Co^ICbx) with either no ligand or different ligands (either pyridine (PYR), tributylphosphine (TBP), dimethyl sulfide (DMS), cyclohexylisocyanide (CI), or 5,6-dimethylbenzimidazole (DMB)) at the lower axial position. For the large Co^ICbl system, an ONIOM scheme was employed, where the high layer was described at the DFT level and the low layer was computed using the semi-empirical method PM6. A full DFT model was employed for the Co^ICbx cases. An S_N2-like mechanism was evaluated in all cases. The intrinsic reaction coordinate profiles suggested early transition states with activation energies of ≈ 12 kcal/mol, ≈ 10 kcal/mol, and ≈ 5 kcal/mol for C-Cl, C-Br, and C-I cleavage, respectively, which is consistent with the leaving group abilities of these halides. The evolutions of the atomic charges in and the bond orders of Co-C and C-X were computed, and the results confirmed the existence of early transition states (δB_av≈ 40%), where the polarization C^δ+-X^δ- (%E_v ≈ 43%) is the determining factor in the reaction process. Finally, a comparison of all the determined parameters showed that the reaction in the DMB-Co^ICbx system resembles the process that occurs in the larger Co^ICbl, suggesting that the former system could be a reliable model for the study of reductive dehalogenation mediated by vitamin B₁₂, which is key to the anaerobic microbiological treatment of halocarbon contaminants.

Fate of mixed pesticides in an integrated recirculating constructed wetland (IRCW)

In this study, three model integrated recirculating constructed wetlands (IRCWs) planted with and without Cyperus alternifolius were used to investigate their ability to remove four pesticides (chlorpyrifos, endosulfan, fenvalerate, diuron). Iron (Fe)-impregnated biochar produced by Cyperus alternifolius was added as a primary substrate. Results showed that all four pesticides were efficiently removed in the three IRCWs. The highest pesticide removals were achieved when Fe-impregnated biochar was added to the IRCW (99%), followed by the planted (64-99%) and plant-free IRCW (45-99%). The removal of pesticides in IRCWs followed first-order kinetics, with half-lives of 1.5-11.6h. A mass balance study revealed that sorption (32.2-98.6%) and microbial degradation (1.3-52.8%) were the main removal processes in all IRCWs. This study suggests that the IRCW is a promising system to treat pesticide-contaminated water, and plant and Fe-impregnated biochar can enhance pesticide removal.

The degradation of antibiotic amoxicillin in the Fenton-activated sludge combined system

The present study investigated the removal efficiency of amoxicillin by the Fenton process, individual activated sludge process and Fenton-activated sludge combined system. For the antibiotic at 1 g L(-1), the optimal conditions of the Fenton process included: 4 mL FeSO4·7H2O solution (20.43 g  L(-1)), 6 mL H2O2 solution (3%) and 40°C. Under the optimal conditions, the removal rate of amoxicillin achieved up to 80% in 70 min. In addition, the impact of amoxicillin on microorganism limited the removal capacity of the activated sludge process. When the concentration of amoxicillin was less than 350 mg L(-1), 69.04-88.79% of the antibiotic was removed. However, the antibiotic could not be treated by the activated sludge when the concentration increased up to 650 mg L(-1). On the other hand, ifamoxicillin was pretreated partly by the Fenton process it was then degraded completely by the same activated sludge. Thus, the combined system included two steps: 80% amoxicillin was degraded in step I and was removed completely in the cheaper biological treatment (step II). Our result showed that compared with the individual activated sludge process, the Fenton process improved the removal capacity of the subsequent activated sludge process in the combined system.

An algal process treatment combined with the Fenton reaction for high concentrations of amoxicillin and cefradine

The goal of the current study was to create a combined technique for the removal of two common antibiotics (amoxicillin and cefradine) using Fenton and an algal action process.

Coupling Fenton and biological oxidation for the removal of nitrochlorinated herbicides from water

The combination of Fenton and biological oxidation for the removal of the nitrochlorinated herbicides alachlor, atrazine and diuron in aqueous solution has been studied. The H2O2 dose was varied from 20 to 100% of the stoichiometric amount related to the initial chemical oxygen demand (COD). The effluents from Fenton oxidation were analyzed for ecotoxicity, biodegradability, total organic carbon (TOC), COD and intermediate byproducts. The chemical step resulted in a significant improvement of the biodegradability in spite of its negligible or even slightly negative effect on the ecotoxicity. Working at 60% of the stoichiometric H2O2 dose allowed obtaining highly biodegradable effluents in the cases of alachlor and atrazine. That dose was even lower (40% of the stoichiometric) for diuron. The subsequent biological treatment was carried out in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) and the combined Fenton-biological treatment allowed up to around 80% of COD reduction.

Removal of 2,4-Dichlorophenolyxacetic acid (2,4-D) herbicide in the aqueous phase using modified granular activated carbon

BACKGROUND

Low cost 2,4-Dichlorophenolyxacetic acid (2,4-D) widely used in controlling broad-leafed weeds is frequently detected in water resources. The main objectives of this research were focused on evaluating the feasibility of using granular activated carbon modified with acid to remove 2,4-D from aqueous phase, determining its removal efficiency and assessing the adsorption kinetics.

RESULTS

The present study was conducted at bench-scale method. The influence of different pH (3-9), the effect of contact time (3-90 min), the amount of adsorbent (0.1-0.4 g), and herbicide initial concentration (0.5-3 ppm) on 2,4-D removal efficiency by the granular activated carbon were investigated. Based on the data obtained in the present study, pH of 3 and contact time of 60 min is optimal for 2,4-D removal. 2,4-D reduction rate increased rapidly by the addition of the adsorbent and decreased by herbicide initial concentration (63%). The percent of 2,4-D reduction were significantly enhanced by decreasing pH and increasing the contact time. The adsorption of 2,4-D onto the granular activated carbon conformed to Langmuir and Freundlich models, but was best fitted to type II Langmuir model (R2 = 0.999). The second order kinetics was the best for the adsorption of 2,4-D by modified granular activated carbon with R2 > 0.99. Regression analysis showed that all of the variables in the process have been statistically significant effect (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, granular activated carbon modified with acid is an appropriate method for reducing the herbicide in the polluted water resources.

Alachlor oxidation by the filamentous fungus Paecilomyces marquandii

Alachlor, a popular chloroacetanilide herbicide, can be a potential health risk factor. Soil microorganisms are primarily responsible for conversion and migration of alachlor in natural environment, but knowledge concerning alachlor biodegradation is not complete. Therefore, we studied the ability of Paecilomyces marquandii, soil fungus tolerant to heavy metals, to eliminate alachlor and proposed a new pathway of its transformation. After 7 days of incubation only 3.3% of alachlor was detected from an initial concentration 50 mg L(-1) and 20.1% from a concentration 100 mg L(-1). The qualitative IDA LC-MS analysis showed the presence of ten metabolites. All of them were dechlorinated mainly through oxidation, but also reductive dechlorination was observed. The main route of alachlor conversion progressed via N-acetyl oxidation resulting in the formation of mono-, di- and trihydroxylated byproducts. N-acetyl oxidation as a dominant route of alachlor metabolism by fungi has not been described so far. The toxicity of alachlor tested with Artemia franciscana did not increase after treatment with P. marquandii cultures. Paecilomyces marquandii strain seems to be an interesting model for the research on alachlor conversion by soil microscopic fungi, due to its dechlorination and hydroxylation ability as well as high tolerance to heavy metals.

Combination of Advanced Oxidation Processes and biological treatments for wastewater decontamination--a review

Nowadays there is a continuously increasing worldwide concern for development of alternative water reuse technologies, mainly focused on agriculture and industry. In this context, Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs) are considered a highly competitive water treatment technology for the removal of those organic pollutants not treatable by conventional techniques due to their high chemical stability and/or low biodegradability. Although chemical oxidation for complete mineralization is usually expensive, its combination with a biological treatment is widely reported to reduce operating costs. This paper reviews recent research combining AOPs (as a pre-treatment or post-treatment stage) and bioremediation technologies for the decontamination of a wide range of synthetic and real industrial wastewater. Special emphasis is also placed on recent studies and large-scale combination schemes developed in Mediterranean countries for non-biodegradable wastewater treatment and reuse. The main conclusions arrived at from the overall assessment of the literature are that more work needs to be done on degradation kinetics and reactor modeling of the combined process, and also dynamics of the initial attack on primary contaminants and intermediate species generation. Furthermore, better economic models must be developed to estimate how the cost of this combined process varies with specific industrial wastewater characteristics, the overall decontamination efficiency and the relative cost of the AOP versus biological treatment.

Comparative study of photocatalytic and photoelectrocatalytic properties of alachlor using different morphology TiO2/Ti photoelectrodes

Wormhole-shaped TiO(2)/Ti (WT) and nanotube-shaped TiO(2)/Ti (TNT) photoelectrodes were prepared by anodic oxidation method. The morphology and structure were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It was found that both crystal types of WT and TNT photoelectrodes were composed of anatase and rutile TiO(2) phases; however TNT photoelectrodes had highly ordered nanostructure. The photoelectrochemical (PECH) and photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) properties of WT and TNT photoelectrodes were investigated by photocurrent transient, open-circuit potential and degradation rate of alachlor under the artificial solar light illumination. All results showed that TNT photoelectrodes prepared in NaF-Na(2)SO(4) solution have more excellent photoelectron properties than WT photoelectrodes prepared in H(2)SO(4) solution. The photocatalytic (PC) and PEC experiments of alachlor showed that PC and PEC activities of TNT photoelectrodes were superior to WT photoelectrodes. At applied bias potentials the degradation rate of alachlor at TNT photoelectrodes increased significantly to 94.5%. The higher PC and PEC performance of TNT photoelectrodes were ascribed to the long-range ordered structure and short-orientation diffusion distance of photogenerated carries.

Determination of alachlor and its metabolite 2,6-diethylaniline in microbial culture medium using online microdialysis enriched-sampling coupled to high-performance liquid chromatography

In this study, a simple and novel microdialysis sampling technique incorporating hollow fiber liquid phase microextraction (HF-LPME) coupled online to high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for the one-step sample pretreatment and direct determination of alachlor (2-chloro-2',6'-diethyl-N -(methoxymethyl)acetanilide) and its metabolite 2,6-diethylaniline (2,6-DEA) in microbial culture medium has been developed. A reversed-phase C-18 column was utilized to separate alachlor and 2,6-DEA from other species using an acetonitrile/water mixture (1:1) containing 0.1 M phosphate buffer solution at pH 7.0 as the mobile phase. Detection was carried out with a UV detector operated at 210 nm. Parameters that influenced the enrichment efficiency of online HF-LPME sampling, including the length of the hollow fiber, the perfusion solvent and its flow rate, the pH, and the salt added in sample solution, as well as chromatographic conditions were thoroughly optimized. Under optimal conditions, excellent enrichment efficiency was achieved by the microdialysis of a sample solution (pH 7.0) using hexane as perfusate at the flow rate of 4 μL/min. Detection limits were 72 and 14 ng/mL for alachlor and 2,6-DEA, respectively. The enrichment factors were 403 and 386 (RSD < 5%) for alachlor and 2,6-DEA, respectively, when extraction was performed by using a 40 cm regenerated cellulose hollow fiber and hexane as perfusion solvent at the flow rate of 0.1 μL/min. The proposed method provides a sensitive, flexible, fast, and eco-friendly procedure to enrich and determine alachlor and its metabolite (2,6-DEA) in microbial culture medium.

Removal of high concentrations of NH(3) by a combined photoreactor and biotrickling filter system

Average emission levels as high as 800 ppm(v) NH(3) have often been found during the anaerobic fermentation process. At these levels, NH(3) is regarded as an environmental toxic compound. High concentrations of NH(3) gas are difficult to treat in a single treatment process, suggesting that, in terms of economic cost and treatment performance, a coupled system may be a feasible technological alternative. In the coupled TiO(2) photocatalytic-biological treatment system evaluated here, the optimal gas retention time for NH(3) removal--in terms of removal efficiency and capital cost--was 26 s. High gas temperatures, high NH(3) concentrations, and low oxygen contents were unfavorable conditions for NH(3) removal by the photoreactor. The coupled system successfully removed concentrated NH(3) gas (R % > 97 %) under disrupted and shutdown conditions. The photoreactor component of the system successfully fulfilled its role as a pretreatment process and enhanced the performance of the biotrickling filter at a high inlet NH(3) load (2,277 g-N m(-3) day(-1)). Potential ammonia-oxidizing bacteria, including Bacillus cereus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Stenotrophomonas sp., were isolated under the high inlet NH(3) load condition. These microbial strains have a potential as biological agents in the removal of high concentrations of NH(3) in waste gas or wastewater.

Gamma radiolysis of alachlor aqueous solutions in the presence of hydrogen peroxide

The enhanced effect of gamma irradiation with hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) for alachlor degradation in an aqueous solution was first investigated in this study. The combination of gamma irradiation and H(2)O(2) led to an enhanced effect, which remarkably increased the degradation efficiency of alachlor and the total organic carbon (TOC) removal. At a dose of 200 Gy, the degradation degree of the alachlor solution reached 81.7 and 99.2% under H(2)O(2) concentrations of 0 and 0.1 μM, respectively. In addition, the TOC removal efficiencies of the alachlor under initial H(2)O(2) concentrations of 0, 0.5 and 1.0 μM were 59.5, 74.8 and 83.8%, respectively, at an absorbed dose of 20 k Gy. However, for higher H(2)O(2) concentrations (greater than 1 μM), the alachlor degradation was reduced because OH radicals were scavenged by the H(2)O(2). The biodegradability of alachlor solutions prior to and after treatment by gamma irradiation was also assessed using the Closed Bottle Test (CBT). The results showed enhanced biodegradability of alachlor with increasing absorbed doses.

Removal of pesticides from water and wastewater by different adsorbents: a review

In this review article, the use of various low-cost adsorbents for the removal of pesticides from water and wastewater has been reviewed. Pesticides may appear as pollutants in water sources, having undesirable impacts to human health because of their toxicity, carcinogenicity, and mutagenicity or causing aesthetic problems such as taste and odors. These pesticides pollute the water stream and it can be removed very effectively using different low-cost adsorbents. It is evident from a literature survey of about 191 recently published papers that low-cost adsorbents have demonstrated outstanding removal capabilities for pesticides.

Effect of preparation conditions of oil palm fronds activated carbon on adsorption of bentazon from aqueous solutions

Oil palm fronds (OPF) were used to prepare activated carbon (PFAC) using physiochemical activation method, which consisted of potassium hydroxide (KOH) treatment and carbon dioxide gasification. The effects of the preparation variables, which were activation temperature, activation time and chemical impregnation ratios (KOH: char by weight), on the carbon yield and bentazon removal were investigated. Based on the central composite design (CCD), two factor interaction (2FI) and quadratic models were, respectively, employed to correlate the PFAC preparation variables to the bentazon removal and carbon yield. From the analysis of variance (ANOVA), the most influential factor on each experimental design response was identified. The optimum conditions for preparing activated carbon from OPF were found as follows: activation temperature of 850 degrees C, activation time of 1h and KOH:char ratio of 3.75:1. The predicted and experimental results for removal of bentazon and yield of PFAC were 99.85%, 20.5 and 98.1%, 21.6%, respectively.

Effect of inorganic ions on the solar detoxification of water polluted with pesticides

The effect of eleven inorganic ions (Cl(-), NO(3)(-), SO(4)(2-); PO(4)(3-), Na(+); NH(4)(+), Ca(2+), Mg(2+), Zn(2+), Cu(2+) and Al(3+)) on the photo-Fenton elimination of pesticides has been investigated. Phosphate and chloride have been demonstrated to have an inhibitory role; on the other hand, the reaction was accelerated in the presence of Cu(2+), most probably due to a copper-driven Fenton-like process. The solar photo-Fenton treatment of a mixture of four commercial pesticides was studied at pilot plant scale in the presence of chlorides. Samples with coincident dissolved organic carbon (DOC) showed similar chemical composition, which resulted in a comparable biocompatibility, however longer irradiation periods were needed to reach the desired mineralization when Cl(-) was present. It was demonstrated that the chemical process was able to improve significantly the biocompatibility of the effluent, as shown by the inhibition of respiration of activated sludge, BOD/COD ratio and Zahn-Wellens test.

Selection of sorbent for removing pesticides during water treatment

This paper presents research on phenoxyacid pesticides removal using sorption methods on activated carbons. It was noted, that physico-chemical properties of adsorbent and adsorbate as well as parameters of the process have influence on adsorption of pesticides, derivatives of phenoxyacetic acid on carbon. The experimental data were analyzed by the Freundlich isotherm. The best for remove from water on carbon NP-5 was 2,4-D. Equilibrium data fitted well with the Freundlich model with maximum adsorption capacity of NP-5 carbon. The exemplary sorption capacity at equilibrium concentration 10 mg L(-1) were: 2,4-D 70 mg g(-1), MCPA 2 mg g(-1), MCPP 0.5 mg g(-1). The results indicated that coconut shell-based NP-5 carbon is most effective for the adsorption of phenoxyacetic acid from aqueous solutions.

Simultaneous toxic action of zinc and alachlor resulted in enhancement of zinc uptake by the filamentous fungus Paecilomyces marquandii

Microbial ability vary when pollutants exist together in the environment in comparison to the presence of single toxic compound. The influence of alachlor and zinc on the growth of the filamentous fungus Paecilomyces marquandii and its ability to eliminate alachlor and zinc has been studied. Their simultaneous presence in the polluted environment is very probable. In liquid cultures the pesticide (50 mg/l) was removed with the efficiency of 85% within 7 days. Beginning from the third day of culturing two derivatives of alachlor were found: N-(2',6'-diethylphenyl)-N-metoxymethyl-acetamide and unstable 2-chloro-N-(2',6'-diethylphenyl)-N-hydroxymethyl-acetamide, the first time detected as product of alachlor metabolisation by filamentous fungus. The herbicide elimination was not inhibited by zinc up to 1.0 mM of the metal content in the culture medium, 5.0-7.5 mM of the metal limited alachlor depletion by 30-50%, whereas a higher zinc concentration stopped this process. Zinc content in P. marquandii mycelium during the incubation in growth medium reached 10-20 mg/g of dry weight and was increased up to 99 mg/g by alachlor, however due to its presence a strong inhibitory effect on growth was observed. It was postulated that the increase in zinc binding by the growing mycelium of P. marquandii in the presence of the pesticide was connected with the changes in the wall and membrane composition induced by simultaneous toxic interaction of zinc and alachlor. Only 15-20% of bound zinc was detected in the cell wall of the fungus, whereas the amount of zinc loaded in the wall of mycelium originating from the cultures incubated in the alachlor presence increased to 60%. Additionally, changes in the profile of fatty acids of cultures with pesticide and metal addition were observed. P. marquandii strain seems to be promising for a potential industrial application. It can both effectively bind zinc and remove alachlor from the mixture of pollutants.

Adsorption isotherm and kinetic modeling of 2,4-D pesticide on activated carbon derived from date stones

In this work, the adsorption of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) on activated carbon derived from date stones (DSAC) was studied with respect to pH and initial 2,4-D concentration. The experimental data were analyzed by the Freundlich isotherm, the Langmuir isotherm, and the Temkin isotherm. Equilibrium data fitted well with the Langmuir model with maximum adsorption capacity of 238.10 mg/g. Pseudo-first and pseudo-second-order kinetics models were tested with the experimental data, and pseudo-first-order kinetics was the best for the adsorption of 2,4-D by DSAC with coefficients of correlation R(2)>or=0.986 for all initial 2,4-D concentrations studied. The results indicated that the DSAC is very effective for the adsorption of 2,4-D from aqueous solutions.