ADVANCED OXIDATION PROCESS-SEQUENCING BATCH REACTOR TREATMENT OF PESTICIDE WASTEWATER

Pesticides are enumerated among persistent organic pollutants (POPs) which
make up the emerging contaminants in the aquatic environment. The risk inherent to
pesticide pollution is prominent due to their low solubility in water, low sorption
affinity to soils, toxicity, chemical stability, bioaccumulation and low
biodegradability. The major sources of pollution by pesticides are drainage water
from intensive agriculture, including water from washing pesticides containers and
application equipment, and effluent from agricultural industries and pesticide
manufacturing plants. The overall objective of the study is development of an
effective treatment system for pesticide wastewater from a company producing
chlorpyrifos. cypermethrin and chlorothalonil pesticides. There has been no work
reported on complete treatment of pesticide wastewater containing these pesticides.
The study was conducted in two phases. In phase I, five advanced oxidation processes
(AOPs) (Fenton, UV photo-Fenton, solar photo-Fenton, UV/Ti02/H20 2 and
FeUAC/H202) were applied for degradation of chlorpyrifos, cypermethrin and
chlorothalonil pesticides in aqueous solution.