Use of Microwave-Assisted Oxidation for Removal of the Pesticide Chlorpyrifos from Aqueous Media

Abstract--The use of pesticides in agriculture has contributed to a massive increase in global food production. But the adverse impact of pesticides on living organisms has led to a growing concern about residues in soils and in aqueous media. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have proven particularly useful in degrading toxic organic compounds found in wastewater to less toxic reaction products or ultimately to carbon dioxide and water. In this study, we investigated the efficiency of removal of the pesticide chlorpyrifos by AOP system that combines microwave radiation, ultraviolet radiation, titanium dioxide tablets and hydrogen peroxide solutions. The results showed that the MO/UV/TiO2/H2O2 process was the most efficient to remove chlorpyrifos, with 100 % removal reached within 6 minutes reaction time. Index Term--Advanced oxidation processes, Microwave radiation, chlorpyrifos, Wastewater treatmen