2 research outputs found
Biotite (Black Mica) as an Adsorbent of Pesticides in Aqueous Solution
Chemical contamination of water resources
on the planet generates a range of environmental disturbances which impair ecosystems. Humans ingest such chemicals often present in water. Conventional treatments fail to remove these contaminants from water, requiring complementary methods such as activated
carbon filters, reverse osmosis, or distillation, which are expensive and seldom used in the public water supply. In recent years, there has been a search for alternative eco-friendly, low-cost methods which can effectively remove these contaminants. This study was conducted to test the effectiveness of biotite (black
mica), an igneous mineral of the mica group, in removing pesticides from water. A trial was designed to assess the rate of pesticide removal using a methodology based on axes of variation of pH, temperature, concentration,and time. The pesticides tested were atrazine, fluazifopp-
butyl, lambda-cyhalothrin, chlorpyrifos, and lactofen. The results showed higher removal rates in acidic conditions (pH 3) and temperatures between 20 and 30 °C,
requiring about 6 h to reach maximum adsorption. More than 80 % of all the pesticides were adsorbed. The best
result was obtained for fluazifop (94.2 %) in 6 h, under pH 3, and temperature of 25 °C. The study revealed that biotite has a high absorption capacity of complex and
varied compounds. These findings signal the need for further studies and tests. Due to the high cost of pesticide
analysis, which can only be made using a chromatograph mass spectrometer, financial resources will be required.CNPq (National Counsel of Technological and Scientific Development-Brazil) for the scholarship granted