CJFST.2017.9.2.16

Photochemical degradation of alachlor in water

Tajana Đurkić*, Jelena Molnar Jazić, Jasmina Agbaba, Marijana Kragulj Isakovski,
Aleksandra Tubić, Snežana Maletić, B. Dalmacija

 University of Novi Sad Faculty of Sciences, Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Environmental Protection, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, 21000 Novi Sad, R. Serbia

original scientific paper
DOI: 10.17508/CJFST.2017.9.2.16

Summary

This study investigates the photochemical degradation of alachlor, a chloroacetanilide herbicide. All experiments were conducted in ultra-pure deionized water (ASTM Type I quality) using direct ultraviolet (UV) photolysis and the UV/H2O2 advanced oxidation process. The direct UV photolysis and UV/H2O2 experiments were conducted in a commercial photochemical reactor with a quartz reaction vessel equipped with a 253.7 nm UV low pressure mercury lamp (Philips TUV 16 W). The experimental results demonstrate that UV photolysis was very effective for alachlor degradation (up to 97% removal using a high UV fluence of 4200 mJ/cm2). The UV/H2O2 process promoted alachlor degradation compared to UV photolysis alone, with a high degree of decomposition (97%) achieved at a significantly lower UV fluence of 600 mJ/cm2 when combined with 1 mg H2O2/L. The application of UV photolysis alone with a UV fluence of 600 mJ/cm2 gave a negligible 4% alachlor degradation. The photo degradation of alachlor, in both direct UV photolysis and the UV/H2O2 process, followed pseudo first-order kinetics. The degradation rate constant was about 6 times higher for the UV/H2O2 process than for UV photolysis alone.

Keywords: degradation, alachlor, direct UV photolysis, UV/H2O2 process