GARBIN, J. R.

MALAGUTTI, A. R.

RIBEIRO, C.

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Development of equipment for destruction of pesticie waste in water using nanostructured photocatalysts

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DEVELOPMENT OF EQUIPMENT FOR DESTRUCTION OF PESTICIE WASTE  IN WATER USING NANOSTRUCTURED PHOTOCATALYSTS  Garbin, J. R.1; Malagutti, A. R.1,2; Ribeiro, C.2   1 Natureza Ativa – tecnologia em tratamento de água Rua Alfredo Lopes, 1717 – sala D11      13560-460   São Carlos – SP 2 Embrapa Instrumentação Agropecuária Rua XV de Novembro, 1452      13561-206   São Carlos – SP  Organic pesticide residues are one of the most recent sources of water contamination, due their great persistence in the environment and cumulative effects on the human body. Ultraviolet (UV) photodegradation has been identified as one of the best alternatives for treatment, however, the high cost and / or the low efficiency of the process is a challenge for its use on large scales. Despite those difficulties, a photodegradation equipment focused to small scale use may be viable, in order to treat the waste at sourceplace, avoiding its access to the environment. In order to evaluate this possibility, a low-cost operation equipment was developed, to the treatment of waste from the washing of clothes and equipment used in agricultural pesticide spraying. The equipment was optimized with the development and testing of photocatalysts. The experiments were done using a nanostructured TiO2 thin film obtained by the polymeric precursors method, deposited on glass substrate through common dip-coating and calcined to 450oC. The film obtained showed good surface adherence and mechanical strength for their use in the prototype, and presented also lower manufacturing costs when compared with commercial photocatalysts. Preliminary tests about the degradation of pesticides mixtures, in solution with similar concentrations to those commercially used in agriculture, showed a significant increase in the efficiency of photodegradation, when compared to the simple photolysis system. Other parameters, such as layer thickness, waste residence time, energy and intensity of UV radiation, were investigated, in order to optimize the apparatus. The ultimate goal is a commercially viable prototype, regarding the costs of acquisition, operation, and the effectiveness of treatment carried out.  Acknowledgement: CNPq - RHAE-Innovation Program.  Keywords: photodegradation, semiconductor, photocatalyst, rhodamine, atrazine. e-mail: garbin@cnpdia.embrapa.br 

Development of equipment for destruction of pesticie waste in water using nanostructured photocatalysts

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RCAAP - Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal

Repository Open Access to Scientific Information from Embrapa