Evaluation of an alternative method for wastewater treatment containing pesticides using solar photocatalytic oxidation and constructed wetlands.
The present study proposes an integrated system based on the synergetic action of solar photocatalytic oxidation with surface flow constructed wetlands for the purification of wastewater contaminated with pesticides. Experiments were conducted at pilot scale using simulated wastewater containing the herbicide clopyralid. Three photocatalytic methods under solar light were investigated: the photo-Fenton and the ferrioxalate reagent as well as the combination of photo-Fenton with TiO2P25, which all led to similar mineralization rates. The subsequent treatment in constructed wetlands resulted in further decrease of DOC and inorganic ions concentrations, especially of NO3-. Clopyralid was absent in the outlet of the wetlands, while the concentration of the detected intermediates was remarkably low. These findings are in good agreement with the results of phytotoxicity of the wastewater, after treatment with the ferrioxalate/wetlands process, which was significantly reduced. Thus, this integrated system based on solar photocatalysis and constructed wetlands has the potential to effectively detoxify wastewater containing pesticides, producing a purified effluent which could be exploited for reuse applications.
Department of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Chrysanthi
C
Berberidou
Department of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Vasiliki
V
Kitsiou
Department of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Dimitra A
DA
Lambropoulou
Department of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece; School of Agriculture, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Αpostolos
Α
Antoniadis
School of Agriculture, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Eleftheria
E
Ntonou
School of Agriculture, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece.
George C
GC
Zalidis
Department of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece. Electronic address: poulios@chem.auth.gr.
Ioannis
I
Poulios
D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D007501:Iron; D010575:Pesticides; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D018508:Water Purification; D053833:Wetlands
D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D007501:Iron; D010575:Pesticides; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
Clopyralid; Pesticide; Photocatalytic; Phytotoxicity; Solar; Wetlands