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Removal of Atrazine from Wastewater

Pesticides represent the group of organic synthetic compounds with the high risk to the environment and human health as well. Among herbicides, a type of pesticides, the most used one is atrazine, which can be often found in natural waters with concentration above maximum permissible level ; 0.1 mg/dm3 according to EC Directives [1]. In order to decrease the amount of atrazine in wastewater on the level determined by regulatives, the adsorption of atrazine on chosen types of zeolites and activated carbon has been investigated in the samples prepared as simulated wastewaters. Also, degradation of atrazine by Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs), Fenton and Fenton “like” as well as combination of adsorption and AOPs with Fenton and Fenton “like” reagents have been studied. The efficiency of atrazine removal and degradation after the physical and/or chemical treatment has been estimated on the basis of TOC and HPLC analyses. Activated carbon has been shown as the most efficient adsorbent but also 76.2% of atrazine has been removed from simulated wastewater by using zeolite HY at the atmospheric conditions after 2 hours of contact and 96% after 72 hours respectively. These very good results obtained by HY zeolite preferable the application of the zeolites as adsorbents instead of activated carbon. The use of zeolites has advantage because of the cost efficiency and possibility of reusing. The kinetic of atrazine degradation in applied AOPs has been monitored simultaneously. A mathematical model, describing kinetic of atrazine degradation has been developed. Experimental data have been compared with those ones predicted by model. It has been estimated that degradation of atrazine can be described with kinetic of pseudo-first order rate. To achieve even better ecoefficiency, the adsorption with zeolites can be used as a pretreatment method for the removal of atrazine from wastewater and Fenton and Fenton “like” processes as polishing step in wastewater treatment. [1] J.M. Sayre, J.Am.Water Works Assoc. 80 (1988) 53

Atrazine; Adsorption; Advanced Oxidation Processes; Wastewater Treatment

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