Chemical and Biological Combined Treatments for the Removal of Pesticides from Wastewaters

摘要

The combination of chemical oxidation (Fenton reaction) and biological treatment processes is a promising technique aiming to reduce recalcitrant wastewater loads. Preliminary tests were carried out on two widely used toxic and non-biodegradable pesticides, namely, Dazomet and Fenamiphos. The chemical reaction was employed as a pre-treatment step for the conversion of the substrates into oxygenated intermediates that were easily removed by means of a final biological treatment. In the combined action, the mineralisation activity of a selected microbial consortium was used to degrade residual volatile and non-volatile organic compounds into CO_2 and biomass.