Implementation of a new modular facility to detoxify agro-wastewater polluted with neonicotinoid insecticides in farms by solar photocatalysis

José Fenoll, Isabel Garrido, Pilar Flores, Pilar Hellín, Nuria Vela, Ginés Navarro, José García-García and Simón Navarro

Energy, 2019, vol. 175, issue C, 722-729

Abstract: As a consequence of phytosanitary treatments on crops a volume of agro-waste water containing pesticide residues from remnants and rinse of the treatment machinery is usually generated. These residues can become a danger to the environment and human health. Therefore, three pilot facility located in different farms were developed and used for wastewater detoxification containing four neonicotinoid insecticides (thiamethoxam, imidacloprid, acetamiprid and thiacloprid) by means of heterogeneous photocatalysis (TiO2 in tandem with Na2S2O8) and natural sunlight. Previously, the catalyst load (300 mg L−1) and oxidant concentration (300 mg L−1) were optimized at lab-scale using a photoreactor. The remaining percentage of the insecticides were in the range 0–47% for thiamethoxam, 0.1–33% for imidacloprid, 2–66% for acetamiprid and 0.02–60% for thiacloprid of the total initial mass. The observed differences for each insecticide in same farm could be due to total initial concentration of pollutant due to others pesticides (non-neonicotinoid insecticides) used in the farms, and the different physical-chemicals characteristics of the water used to fill and wash of treatment equipment. The results obtained have demonstrated a cost-effective viable alternative to degrade the neonicotinoids insecticide residues contained in these agro-wastewater, with an innovative and energetically efficient facility placed in the farms.

Keywords: Pesticide residues; Solar photocatalysis; Titanium dioxide; Water reclamation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:energy:v:175:y:2019:i:c:p:722-729

DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2019.03.118

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