Oxidative degradation and detoxification of aqueous carbofuran by membrane anodic Fenton treatment

Microbial elimination of carbamate pesticides: specific strains and promising enzymes

Carbamate pesticides are widely used in the environment, and compared with other pesticides in nature, they are easier to decompose and have less durability. However, due to the improper use of carbamate pesticides, some nontarget organisms still may be harmed. To this end, it is necessary to investigate effective removal or elimination methods for carbamate pesticides. Current effective elimination methods could be divided into four categories: physical removal, chemical reaction, biological degradation, and enzymatic degradation. Physical removal primarily includes elution, adsorption, and supercritical fluid extraction. The chemical reaction includes Fenton oxidation, photo-radiation, and net electron reduction. Biological degradation is an environmental-friendly manner, which achieves degradation by the metabolism of microorganisms. Enzymatic degradation is more promising due to its high substrate specificity and catalytic efficacy. All in all, this review primarily summarizes the property of carbamate pesticides and the traditional degradation methods as well as the promising biological elimination. KEY POINTS: • The occurrence and toxicity of carbamate pesticides were shown. • Biological degradation strains against carbamate pesticides were presented. • Promising enzymes responsible for the degradation of carbamates were discussed.

Degradation of nitrogen-containing hazardous compounds using advanced oxidation processes: A review on aliphatic and aromatic amines, dyes, and pesticides

Nitrogen-containing amino and azo compounds are widely used in textile, agricultural and chemical industries. Most of these compounds have been demonstrated to be resistant to conventional degradation processes. Advanced oxidation processes can be effective to mineralize nitrogen-containing compounds and improve the efficacy of overall treatment schemes. Due to a global concern for the occurrence of toxic and hazardous amino-compounds and their harmful degradation products in water, it is important to develop technologies that focus on all the aspects of their degradation. Our focus is to present a state-of-the-art review on the degradation of several amine- and azo-based compounds using advanced oxidation processes. The categories reviewed are aromatic amines, aliphatic amines, N-containing dyes and N-containing pesticides. Data has been compiled for degradation efficiencies of each process, reaction mechanisms focusing on specific attack of oxidants on N atoms, the effect of process parameters like pH, initial concentration, time of treatment, etc. and identification of intermediates. Several AOPs have been compared to provide a systematic overview of available literature that will drive essential aspects of future research on amine-based compounds. Ozone is observed to be highly reactive to most amines, dyes and pesticides, followed by Fenton processes. Degradation of amines is highly sensitive to pH and mechanisms differ at different pH values. Cavitation is a promising alternative pre-treatment method for cost reduction. Hybrid methods under optimized conditions are demonstrated to give synergistic effects and must be tailored for specific effluents in question. In conclusion, even though nitrogen-containing compounds are recalcitrant in nature, the use of advanced oxidation processes at carefully established optimum conditions can yield highly efficient degradation of the compounds.

An overview on the removal of synthetic dyes from water by electrochemical advanced oxidation processes

Wastewater containing dyes are one of the major threats to our environment. Conventional methods are insufficient for the removal of these persistent organic pollutants. Recently much attention has been received for the oxidative removal of various organic pollutants by electrochemically generated hydroxyl radical. This review article aims to provide the recent trends in the field of various Electrochemical Advanced Oxidation Processes (EAOPs) used for removing dyes from water medium. The characteristics, fundamentals and recent advances in each processes namely anodic oxidation, electro-Fenton, peroxicoagulation, fered Fenton, anodic Fenton, photoelectro-Fenton, sonoelectro-Fenton, bioelectro-Fenton etc. have been examined in detail. These processes have great potential to destroy persistent organic pollutants in aqueous medium and most of the studies reported complete removal of dyes from water. The great capacity of these processes indicates that EAOPs constitute a promising technology for the treatment of the dye contaminated effluents.

Carbofuran degraded by iron-doped anatase: Weakening the cholinesterase inhibitory activity in the photoproducts mixture

Carbofuran is a toxic carbamate pesticide, and its use has increased in recent years. While marketing information indicates stability in different chemical media, carbofuran exhibits relative photolability. The aim of this research was to decompose carbofuran and to identify the photoproducts achieved when two different doped titania photocatalysts were employed under UV irradiation. The iron-doped TiO₂ materials were obtained (a) via a hydrothermal method and (b) by an ultrasound-assisted sol-gel method. The precursors were TiOSO₄⋅xH₂O and Fe₃(NO₃)·9H₂O. X-ray studies confirmed that the anatase phase of the iron-doped TiO₂ resulted from the two preparation methods. The photocatalytic performance of the prepared materials was monitored by LC/ESI-QTOF-MS, enabling the identification of photoproducts: oxo-carbamates, hydroxylated benzofuranes, a carboxamide, and one amine. By using the iron-doped TiO₂ materials, 2,2-dimethyl-2,3-dihydrobenzofuran-3,7-diol was the most abundant photoproduct, and N,2,2-trimethyl-2,3-dihydrobenzofuran-7-amine was the only compound that had not been previously reported in the photolysis and photocatalysis of carbofuran. The product 3-hydroxy carbofuran, a cholinesterase inhibitor, was quantified and was found to be transformed into compounds that lack this inhibitive property.

Carbofuran removal in continuous-photocatalytic reactor: Reactor optimization, rate-constant determination and carbofuran degradation pathway analysis

Carbofuran (CBF) removal in a continuous-flow photocatalytic reactor with granular activated carbon supported titanium dioxide (GAC-TiO₂) catalyst was investigated. The effects of feed flow rate, TiO₂ concentration and addition of supplementary oxidants on CBF removal were investigated. The central composite design (CCD) was used to design the experiments and to estimate the effects of feed flow rate and TiO₂ concentration on CBF removal. The outcome of CCD experiments demonstrated that reactor performance was influenced mainly by feed flow rate compared to TiO₂ concentration. A second-order polynomial model developed based on CCD experiments fitted the experimental data with good correlation (R² ∼ 0.964). The addition of 1 mL min^-1 hydrogen peroxide has shown complete CBF degradation and 76% chemical oxygen demand removal under the following operating conditions of CBF ∼50 mg L^-1, TiO₂ ∼5 mg L^-1 and feed flow rate ∼82.5 mL min^-1. Rate constant of the photodegradation process was also calculated by applying the kinetic data in pseudo-first-order kinetics. Four major degradation intermediates of CBF were identified using GC-MS analysis. As a whole, the reactor system and GAC-TiO₂ catalyst used could be constructive in cost-effective CBF removal with no impact to receiving environment through getaway of photocatalyst.

The photocatalytic degradation of carbofuran and Furadan 35-ST: the influence of inert ingredients

A comparative study on photocatalytic degradation of the pesticide carbofuran and its commercial product Furadan 35-ST in an aqueous suspension of ZnO, irradiated by long-wave light (315-400 nm), is presented in this study. In order to assess the effects of inert ingredients present in the commercial product Furadan 35-ST, non-competitive and competitive adsorption and kinetic studies of carbofuran degradation processes were conducted. A higher photochemical degradation rate was found for pure carbofuran in comparison to a two-component system, carbofuran and single addition of ingredients at appropriate concentrations, and the commercial product Furadan 35-ST. The overall effect of inert ingredients was evaluated from a competitive study using the model system of Furadan 35-ST. The results of a mineralization study, obtained by ion chromatography (IC) and total organic carbon (TOC) analyses, revealed the formation of acetate, oxalate, and formate ions. Photodegradation products of carbofuran, three of them detected for the first time, were identified based on high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) results, and their photodegradation pathways were proposed.

In situ study of the photodegradation of carbofuran deposited on TiO2 film under UV light, using ATR-FTIR coupled to HS-MCR-ALS

The in situ study of the photodegradation of carbofuran deposited on a TiO2 catalyst film under UV light was carried out using the ATR-FTIR technique. The data were analyzed using a Hard-Soft Multivariate Curve Resolution-Alternating Least Squares (HS-MCR-ALS) methodology. Using S-MCR-ALS, four factors were deduced from the evolving factor analysis of the data, and their concentrations and spectra were determined. These results were used to draw qualitative and quantitative analyses of the major products of carbofuran photodegradation. The results of this analysis were in good agreement with GC-MS results and with reported mechanisms. Hard-MCR-ALS was then used to refine the spectra and concentrations, using a multistep kinetic model. The rate constant for the first step in the photodegradation of carbofuran was found to be 2.9 × 10(-3) min(-1). The higher magnitude of the correlation (96.87%), the explained variance (99.87%) and LOF (3.01), are good indicators of the reliability of the outcome of this approach. This method has been shown to be an efficient approach to study in situ photodegradation of pesticides on a solid surface.

Solar photo-Fenton treatment of carbofuran: analysis of mineralization, toxicity, and organic by-products

The degradation of the pesticide carbofuran (CBF) using solar photo-Fenton treatment, at both the laboratory and the pilot scale, was evaluated. At the laboratory scale, in a suntest reactor, the Fe(2+) concentration and H(2)O(2) concentration were evaluated and optimized using the surface response methodology and the Pareto diagram. Under optimal conditions experiments were performed to evaluate the evolution of the substrate removal, oxidation, subsequent mineralization, toxicity and the formation of chloride ions during the treatment. The analysis and evolution of five CBF by-products as well as several control and reactivity tests at the density functional theory level were used to depict a general scheme of the main degradation pathway of CBF via the photo-Fenton system. Finally, at the pilot scale, a sample of the commercial CBF product Furadan was eliminated after 420 min by the photo-Fenton system using direct sunlight. Under these conditions, after 900 min 89% of toxicity (1/E(50) on Vibrio fischeri bacteria), 97% of chemical oxygen demand, and 90% of dissolved organic carbon were removed.

Solar photocatalitycal treatment of carbofuran at lab and pilot scale: effect of classical parameters, evaluation of the toxicity and analysis of organic by-products

In this work the TiO(2) solar-photocatalytical degradation of the pesticide carbofuran (CBF) in water, at lab and pilot scale, was studied. At lab scale the evaluation of CBF concentration (14-282 μmol L(-1)) showed that the system followed a Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetics type. TiO(2) concentration (0.05-2 g L(-1)) and initial pH (3-9) were also evaluated and optimized using the surface response methodology and the Pareto diagram. In the range of variables studied, initial pH 7.60 and 1.43 g L(-1) of TiO(2) favoured the efficiency of the process. Under optimal conditions the evolution of substrate, chemical oxygen demand, dissolved organic carbon, toxicity and organics by-products were evaluated. In the pilot scale tests, using direct sunlight, 55 mg L(-1) of CBF in a commercial formulation was eliminated after 420 min; while after 900 min of treatment 80% of toxicity (1/E(50) on Vibrium Fischeri), 80% of chemical oxygen demand and 60% of dissolved organic carbon were removed. The analysis and evolution of five CBF by-products, as well the evaluation of the treatment in the presence of isopropanol or using acetonitrile as a solvent suggest that the degradation is mainly carried out by OH radical attack. Finally, a schema depicting the main degradation pathway is proposed.

Improvement in carbofuran degradation by different Fenton’s reagent dosing processes

Attempts were made in this study to examine the efficiency of Fenton’s reagent with different dosing processes and H2O2 and Fe2+ concentrations for the treatment of carbofuran wastewater. Carbofuran degradation, total organic carbon (TOC) removal and H2O2 consumption were determined during the experiments. Increases in H2O2 and Fe2+ concentrations led to an increase in the degradation of carbofuran. Almost 100% of carbofuran could be degraded at pH 3, 120 mg L-1 H2O2, 24 mg L-1 Fe2+ and 30 minutes reaction time; removals of TOC were among 48.8%–53.3% under different dosing processes. A continuous dosing process was beneficial to improve the removal of TOC by Fenton’s reagent. Rate constants of carbofuran degradation could be calculated by the first-order kinetics; increase in the Fenton’s reagent generally increased the rate constants. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis found five degradation products by hydroxyl radicals attack. Thus, this study might offer an effective dosing way for carbofuran wastewater treatment by Fenton’s reagent.

Carbofuran degradation by the application of MW-assisted H₂O₂ process

Carbofuran removal performance of a microwave (MW)-assisted H₂O₂ system under different MW-power levels (300-900 W) was investigated. Batch experiments were conducted at 100 mg/L carbofuran concentration using a modified-MW reactor with 2450 MHz of fixed frequency. As a precursor, control experiments were carried out with H₂O₂ alone, MW alone and conventional heating (CH). A maximum carbofuran removal of 14 % was observed in both H₂O₂ alone and CH systems. On the other hand, only 2 % removal was observed in the MW alone system irrespective of the operation-mode, i.e. continuous or pulsed. The combination of MW and H₂O₂ produced 100 % carbofuran removal in all the MW-assisted experiments. The MW-assisted system operated under continuous-mode and at 750 W has showed rapid carbofuran degradation, i.e. 30 sec, with the highest first-order removal rate constant of 25.82/min. However, 97 % carbon oxygen demand (COD) removal was observed in the same system only after 30 min. On the other hand, 100 % carbofuran removal and 49 % COD removal were observed in the pulsed-mode MW-assisted H₂O₂ system after 10 and 30 min, respectively. Carbofuran mineralization in the system was evidenced by the formation of ammonium and nitrate, and carbofuran intermediates.

Degradation of carbofuran in aqueous solution by ultrasound and Fenton processes: Effect of system parameters and kinetic study

To establish an efficient oxidation process for carbofuran degradation, the effects of some operating parameters such as dosages of H(2)O(2), Fe(2+) and initial carbofuran concentrations were observed during carbofuran degradation by the ultrasound process, Fenton process and a combined ultrasound/Fenton process. The degradation kinetics of carbofuran was also examined based on the experimental data. The results show that more than 99% of the carbofuran was degraded by the ultrasound/Fenton process within short reaction time periods. Increased dosages of H(2)O(2) and Fe(2+) enhanced the degradation of carbofuran in the ultrasound and Fenton oxidation processes, but initial carbofuran concentrations decreased carbofuran degradation in both the Fenton and ultrasound/Fenton processes. The degradation kinetics of carbofuran by the three oxidation processes was found to be in accordance with first-order reaction kinetics. The results provide fundamental information about the treatment of carbofuran wastewater and/or other pesticides by the ultrasound/Fenton oxidation process.

Removal of triazophos pesticide from wastewater with Fenton reagent

The catalytic oxidation of triazophos pesticide from wastewater using Fenton reagent was investigated at bench-scale in this study. Synthesized wastewater and actual industrial triazophos pesticide wastewater taken from a pesticide company were examined sequentially. The COD values of the synthesized and actual industrial triazophos pesticide wastewater samples were 3242 and 3418 mg/L, respectively, and the triazophos concentration in these wastewater samples was 0.06% by weight. The effects of reaction conditions including the dosages of FeSO(4).7H(2)O and H(2)O(2), the pH value of the environment, and the stirring time on COD removal from the synthesized wastewater were evaluated, and COD removal efficiency of 96.3% with a corresponding effluent COD value of 120 mg/L was achieved under optimal reaction conditions of a pH value of 4, a dosage of 2.5 g/L of FeSO(4).7H(2)O and 100 mL/L of 30% H(2)O(2) solution, and a stirring time of 90 min. Results also showed that 71.2% of nitrogen and 68.5% of phosphorous in the synthesized triazophos wastewater were converted to NO(3)(-) and PO(4)(3-), respectively, at the optimal reaction condition. When the actual industrial wastewater was treated at a pH value of 4, COD removal efficiency of 85.4% with a corresponding effluent COD value of 499 mg/L were reached at optimal condition of a dosage of 5.0 g/L of FeSO(4).7H(2)O and 75 mL/L of 30% H(2)O(2) solution, and a stirring time of 90 min. The results of this study can be referred for the design of a treatment process for the actual industrial triazophos wastewater.

Degradation of carbofuran-contaminated water by the Fenton process

In this study, the Fenton process was applied for the degradation of carbofuran from aqueous system. Batch experiments were conducted at two different carbofuran concentrations i.e., 10 and 50 mg/L, and at pH 3. Batch experiments at each carbofuran concentration were designed by central composite design (CCD) with two independent variables i.e. Fe2+ and H2O2. Experimental results indicate that more than 90% of carbofuran removal was observed within 5 mins of Fenton reaction at 5 mg/L of Fe2+ concentration and 100 mg/L of H202 concentration. Increases in Fe2+ and/or H2O2 concentrations beyond 5 and 100 mg/L, respectively produced 100% carbofuran removal. Based on the experimental observations, the optimal Fe2+ and H2O2 dosages required for 10 mg/L of aqueous carbofuran removal were estimated as 7.4 and 143 mg/L, respectively. During this study, three carbofuran intermediates such as 7-benzofuranol,2,3,-dihydro-2,2-dimethyl, 7-hydroxy-2,2-dimethyl-benzofuran-3-one and 1,4-Benzene-di-carboxaldehyde were identified using GC/MS analyses.

Fenton degradation of 4,6-dinitro-o-cresol with Fe(2+)-substituted ion-exchange resin

The Fenton degradation of 4,6-dinitro-o-cresol (DNOC) was studied under different experimental conditions using Amberlyst 15 ion-exchange resin containing ferrous ion. DNOC was found to be effectively degraded under most conditions, and it was observed that, with the addition of HCl, the desorption of ferrous ion from the resin into the solution played a major role in this degradation. The total iron concentration in the reaction solution was found to increase with the addition of HCl, and a pseudo-first-order kinetic model was applied to the desorption of ferrous ion from the resin on the basis of the assumption of a first-order ion-exchange process. The degradation rate of DNOC also increased as a function of HCl. A kinetic model was developed to simulate the degradation of DNOC under different operating conditions, assuming the first-order desorption of ferrous ion. Different cations were compared with H(+), and H(+) was found to be the most efficient at facilitating the degradation reaction at low concentrations, whereas Ca(2+) was found to be most efficient at high concentrations. pH was measured during the reaction, and its effect on degradation was explored. It was found that a lower pH could lead to faster degradation of the target compound. Degradation of DNOC under different delivery rates of H(2)O(2) was studied, and optimal conditions were determined. The results also showed that the delivery rate of H(2)O(2) did not affect the ion-exchange process of the resin.

Kinetics of carbaryl degradation by anodic Fenton treatment in a humic-acid-amended artificial soil slurry

A Fenton-based indirect electrochemical method, anodic Fenton treatment (AFT), developed for destroying and detoxifying pesticides in the aqueous environment, was evaluated for the degradation of a widely used pesticide, carbaryl, in an artificial soil slurry. More than 90% of carbaryl was removed in less than 20 minutes under given experimental conditions. The effect of initial slurry pH, humic acid content, initial carbaryl concentration, Fenton reagent delivery ratio, and soil/water ratio (w/v) were investigated. The results indicate that humic acid content is the key factor that slows down pesticide degradation, most probably because of its pH buffering and adsorption capacity. A kinetic model, which was shown to fit the experimental data quite well (R2 > 0.99), was developed to describe the carbaryl degradation in the soil slurry during the AFT process. In the presence of humic acid, carbaryl degradation kinetics was found to shift to a pseudo-first-order reaction after an "initiation" stage.

Adsorption effect on the degradation of carbaryl, mecoprop, and paraquat by anodic fenton treatment in an SWy-2 montmorillonite clay slurry

The Fenton reaction-based anodic Fenton treatment (AFT) was applied to three widely used organic agrochemicals, carbaryl, mecoprop, and paraquat, in a clay slurry. The adsorption and degradation behaviors of these neutral (carbaryl), anionic (mecoprop), and cationic (paraquat) agrochemicals were studied in a slurry of SWy-2 Na(+)-montmorillonite clay, and adsorption isotherms were obtained at given experimental conditions. The d spacing (d 001) of the clay layer before and after adsorption or degradation was measured by X-ray diffraction (XRD). On the basis of the change of d spacing, molecular disposition at the clay interlayer was inferred: both mecoprop and paraquat form a monolayer sitting flat and parallel to the clay siloxane surfaces. Results show that, due to different adsorption mechanisms, the adsorption effect on chemical degradation by AFT varies with pesticide: strong and tight adsorption of paraquat at the clay interlayer protects paraquat from being attacked by hydroxyl radicals; loosely adsorbed carbaryl or mecoprop is readily degraded. XRD analysis clearly indicates that AFT is capable of effectively degrading interlayer noncationic organic chemicals that are not usually available for biodegradation.

Treatment of pesticide wastewater by moving-bed biofilm reactor combined with Fenton-coagulation pretreatment

In order to treat pesticide wastewater having high chemical oxygen demand (COD) value and poor biodegradability, Fenton-coagulation process was first used to reduce COD and improve biodegradability and then was followed by biological treatment. Optimal experimental conditions for the Fenton process were determined to be Fe(2+) concentration of 40 mmol/L and H(2)O(2) dose of 97 mmol/L at initial pH 3. The interaction mechanism of organophosphorous pesticide and hydroxyl radicals was suggested to be the breakage of the P=S double bond and formation of sulfate ions and various organic intermediates, followed by formation of phosphate and consequent oxidation of intermediates. For the subsequent biological treatment, 3.2g/L Ca(OH)(2) was added to adjust the pH and further coagulate the pollutants. The COD value could be evidently decreased from 33,700 to 9300 mg/L and the ratio of biological oxygen demand (BOD(5)) to COD of the wastewater was enhanced to over 0.47 by Fenton oxidation and coagulation. The pre-treated wastewater was then subjected to biological oxidation by using moving-bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) inside which tube chip type bio-carriers were fluidized upon air bubbling. Higher than 85% of COD removal efficiency could be achieved when the bio-carrier volume fraction was kept more than 20% by feeding the pretreated wastewater containing 3000 mg/L of inlet COD at one day of hydraulic retention time (HRT), but a noticeable decrease in the COD removal efficiency when the carrier volume was decreased down to 10%, only 72% was observed. With the improvement of biodegradability by using Fenton pretreatment, also due to the high concentration of biomass and high biofilm activity using the fluidizing bio-carriers, high removal efficiency and stable operation could be achieved in the biological process even at a high COD loading of 37.5 gCOD/(m(2)carrierday).

Effect of nonionic surfactants on the oxidation of carbaryl by anodic Fenton treatment

As a potentially promising technology, anodic Fenton treatment (AFT) has been shown to be very successful in pesticide removal. However, the influence of other constituents in the pesticide formulation, such as nonionic surfactants, has not been addressed. In this study, the effect of Triton X (TX) on the degradation kinetics and pathways of carbaryl undergoing AFT was investigated in an effort to facilitate its practical application. The presence of Triton X-100 was found to slow down the carbaryl degradation rate. This result can be attributed to the consumption of hydroxyl radicals ((*)OH) by surfactants and the formation of a carbaryl...TX...Fe(3+) complex, resulting in the unavailability of carbaryl to (*)OH attack. The modified AFT kinetic model previously developed in this laboratory shows an excellent fit to the carbaryl degradation profile (R(2)>0.998), supporting the formation of a carbaryl...TX...Fe(3+) complex. The carbaryl degradation rate decreased as Triton X-100 concentration increased from 20 to 1000 mg L(-1). Both (*)OH consumption by surfactants and complex formation are responsible for the degradation rate reduction below the critical micelle concentration (CMC), whereas the complex and micelle formation becomes a more dominant factor above the CMC. The effect of ethylene oxide (EO) numbers of a given nonionic surfactant mainly lies in the consumption of hydroxyl radicals, which increases with the length of the EO chain, but does not significantly affect the formation of the carbaryl...TX...Fe(3+) complex. Based on the GC-MS and LC-ESI-MS results, no evidence was found that the carbaryl degradation pathway was affected. Carbaryl was typically oxidized to 1-naphthol and 1,4-naphthoquinone similar to what is observed in the absence of surfactants. Triton X-100 was degraded via the breakdown of EO chains and omega-oxidation of the terminal methyl group, which resulted in the production of a series of ethoxylate oligomers.

Evaluation of the performance of flow-through anodic fenton treatment in amide compound degradation

A flow-through anodic Fenton treatment (FAFT) system based on the batch AFT technology was previously developed to degrade pesticides in aqueous solution. As one of a series of benchtop and pilot-scale studies in process optimization, the goal of the reported work is to evaluate the performance of the FAFT system under various operating conditions, which is critical to bringing this technology into practical general use in the field. For this purpose, the removal efficiency of the parent pesticide and the concentration of the hydroxyl radical in FAFT were calculated on the basis of a previously developed FAFT kinetic model and used for the evaluation. N,N-Diethyl-3-methylbenzamide (DEET), an insect repellent, was used as a chemical probe. Experimental data showed that the key to a high treatment efficiency is to operate the FAFT system to achieve a maximum *OH production with a minimum input of energy and chemicals. For the anodic half-cell, the system should be operated under flow-through conditions with a self-developed optimum pH of 3.0, a relatively high flow rate, and the initial effluent recycled within 6-10 min to the FAFT system for further treatment; for the cathodic half-cell, it should have a fixed volume and be entirely replaced by another batch of cathodic solution only when the pH reaches a very high value. The delivery rate of the ferrous iron should be maintained at an electrolytic current between 0.01 and 0.02 A; the ratio of H2O2/Fe2+ should be between 5:1 and 10:1. NaCl was found to be the best electrolyte, with concentrations of 0.01-0.02 and 0.08 M in the anodic and cathodic half-cells, respectively. The FAFT system was successfully applied to degrade various model amide compounds and DEET formulations, which suggests the likelihood of extending this approach to other pesticide-containing wastewaters.

Photocatalytic degradation of carbofuran using semiconductor oxides

The photocatalytic degradation of carbofuran (2,3-dihydro-2,2-dimethylbenzofuran-7-yl methylcarbamate) was investigated in an aqueous solution using Degussa P-25 TiO2 and ZnO as photocatalysts. The progress of degradation was monitored using TOC analyzer, HPLC, GC-MS and UV-vis spectrophotometer. The effects of various experimental parameters such as initial concentration of carbofuran, pH of the solution, catalyst loading and light intensity were systematically studied in order to achieve maximum degradation efficiency. The complete mineralization of carbofuran was confirmed by TOC analyzer. The degradation with ZnO showed less efficiency than TiO2. The formation of NO(3)(-) was identified and quantified using HPLC. In addition, four different intermediates formed during the degradation process were also identified and characterized by GC-MS. The mineralization rate was compared with lamps of wavelength 254 and 365 nm under similar conditions. The rate with 254 nm was observed to be very close to that of 365 nm.

Modeling evaluation of carbaryl degradation in a continuously stirred tank reactor by anodic fenton treatment

Anodic Fenton treatment (AFT) has been shown to be effective in removing pesticides from aqueous solution in batch reactors with the formation of less toxic and more biodegradable products. To facilitate practical application of AFT, carbaryl degradation in a continuously stirred tank reactor (CSTR) by AFT was investigated under different experimental conditions, such as carbaryl inlet concentration, Fenton reagent concentration/ratio, and carbaryl feeding flow rate. A higher Fe2+ delivery rate and H2O2 to Fe2+ ratio (H2O2:Fe2+) were found to favor the carbaryl degradation process, whereas flow rate was shown to be a much less significant factor to influence the degradation rate under the evaluated experimental conditions. A kinetic-based semiempirical model was developed to simulate the experimental data, and a very good fit between the model and the raw data was found (R2 > 0.99). A dimensionless parameter (k/q2) was found to be a good indicator of the degradation rate; that is, the higher the k/q2value is, the faster the degradation process is. The rate parameter (k) can be used to evaluate the degradation rate when the flow rate is invariant for a given pesticide. The shape parameter (beta) is most likely related to the availability and reactivity of Fenton reagents and hydroxyl radicals. To compare the degradation rate of different pesticides, more information other than k/q2, k, and beta values, such as the instantaneous degradation rate vs time relationship, needs to be considered.

Decoloration of aqueous Brilliant Green by using glow discharge electrolysis

This paper described a plasma degradation of Brilliant Green (BG) by glow discharge electrolysis. Various influencing factors such as the voltage, the distance between cathode and anode were examined. Ultraviolet (UV) absorption spectra, gas chromatogram-mass spectrum (GC-MS), and chemical oxygen demand (COD) were used to monitor the degradation process and to identify the major oxidation intermediates. It was confirmed that benzoic acid, 1,2,3,4,5,6-cyclohexanehexaol, and carboxylic acids (e.g., oxalic acid, succinic acid and hydroxyacetic acid) were produced in the degradation process. The results showed that BG rapidly underwent degradation and eventually mineralized into CO(2) and H(2)O.

Determination of carbosulfan and its metabolites in oranges by liquid chromatography ion-trap triple-stage mass spectrometry

Liquid chromatography ion-trap mass spectrometry LC-MSn has been successfully applied to identify and confirm carbosulfan and seven of its metabolites in oranges after pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) with dichloromethane. Mass spectra of carbosulfan and its metabolites were investigated using multiple stages of mass spectrometry. Although interpretation of the fragmentation pathways, based on mass spectra, enables structural elucidation and identification of these compounds, the proposed fragmentation pathways and ion structures need verification by exact mass measurements. The analytical method--PLE and LC-MS3 --was validated: limits of quantification (LOQ) ranged from 0.01 to 0.07 mg kg(-1); at this level, recoveries were 55-90% with RSDs (five replicate analyses) from 8 to 19%. The degradation of carbosulfan was determined in a laboratory study carried out in mature oranges (Valencia Late) and tangerines (Clementine of Nules) already harvested. Main degradation products of carbosulfan were carbofuran, 3-hydroxycarbofuran, 3-ketocarbofuran and dibutylamine.

Reduced adsorption of ametryn in clay, humic acid, and soil by interaction with ferric ion under Fenton treatment conditions

Previous work in our laboratory indicated a weak interaction between ferric ion and several triazine/triazinone herbicides during a Fenton treatment process, and the intensity of the interaction was calculated. To further support the existence of this weak interaction, the adsorption of ametryn, a triazine herbicide, was investigated in kaolinite clay, humic acid, and soil under pseudo-Fenton conditions. At a low addition rate of ferric ion, the adsorption of ametryn in clay, humic acid, and soil was enhanced due to the decreased pH resulting from the hydrolysis of ferric ion. But the pH effect was totally neutralized and the adsorption of ametryn was significantly reduced by further addition of ferric ion, demonstrating the existence of the weak interaction between ametryn and ferric acid. Further study showed that the adsorption-reduction effect of ferric ion existed not only with ametryn but also with several other triazine/triazinone herbicides. This weak interaction may accelerate the desorption process during the remediation of triazine/triazinone herbicide-contaminated soil using a Fenton/Fenton-like treatment, but it may also impede the degradation of these herbicides.

Kinetic effect of humic acid on alachlor degradation by anodic Fenton treatment

Contamination of water often results from the heavy use of agricultural chemicals, and the disposal of aqueous pesticide waste is a concern. Anodic Fenton treatment (AFT) has been shown to be a successful remediation method for pesticides in solution, but the effect of soil on the degradation kinetics of pesticides using this method has not been determined. The purpose of this study was to study the effect of humic acid, as a soil surrogate, on the degradation kinetics of alachlor [2-chloro-N-(2,6-diethylphenyl-N-(methoxymethyl) acetamide], a heavily used herbicide that has been studied in pure aqueous solution by AFT. The AFT consists of a controlled constant delivery of Fenton reagents, using an electrochemical half-cell to deliver ferrous iron. Alachlor was quickly degraded by AFT, and the kinetics were found to obey the previously developed AFT model well. Degradation of alachlor by AFT in humic acid slurry showed that when the amount of humic acid was increased, alachlor degradation was significantly slowed down and the degradation kinetics were shifted from the AFT model to a first-order model. Further experimentation indicated that humic acid not only competes with alachlor for hydroxyl radicals, reducing the degradation rate of the target compound, but also buffers the slurry at near neutral pH, blocking regeneration of ferrous ion from ferric ion and subsequently shifting the kinetics to first order. Degradation of several other pesticides in humic acid slurry also followed first-order kinetics. These results imply that higher concentrations of Fenton reagents will be required for soil remediation.

Treatment of cork process wastewater by a successive chemical-physical method

In cork processing, the operation of boiling the raw cork generates large volumes of wastewater which are more often than not released directly into the environment untreated. Even when the wastewater is treated, this is usually by retention in evaporation ponds. This procedure, however, causes bad odors and may pollute surface water and groundwater. The present study evaluates a physicochemical method involving Fenton oxidation and coagulation/flocculation for the removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD), total polyphenols (TP), and aromatic compounds (A) from cork manufacturing process wastewater. The experimental variables studied were the dosages of iron salts (from 0.001 to 0.2 mol/L) and hydrogen peroxide (between 0.06 and 1 mol/L). The integrated Fenton-coagulation/flocculation process reduced the COD of the effluent by from 22% to 85%. The removal of total polyphenols ranged from 4% to 98%, and of aromatic compounds from 2% to 97%. A further two experiments were performed modifying the manner in which the reagents were added, splitting the reagent dose (of hydrogen peroxide and ferrous salt) into two and three fractions. Finally, an economic study was made of the chemical costs deriving from the application of this purification system. The cost of a treatment with an [H2O2](o)/COD(o) ratio of 1.8 g/g (splitting the reagent dose into three fractions) that yields a COD removal of 73% was estimated to be 11.5 euros/m(3) of wastewater.