Photochemical removal of pesticides: A Review

摘要

In the current era where pesticides play a vital role in one's everyday life, large quantities of various pesticides some of which are highly toxic are being used routinely by industries and consumers. Extensive use of these chemicals provides greater risk to plants, animals and human population which has been reviewed from time to time. Apart from the biological degradation, photochemical removal holds considerable promise for the abatement of these pesticides in wastewaters. This paper reviews the photochemical degradation of pesticides. It is evident from the review that removal depends on several factors such as pH of the solution, catalysts loading, initial concentration of the pesticides, support based catalysts or suspended catalysts, light intensity and so on and so forth. Since the pesticides are ubiquitously present in the wastewaters, photochemical technology seems imperative to alleviate the pollution problems associated with the pesticides. However, commercial application of this technology has to be clearly assessed.