Adsorption Effect on the Degradation of Carbaryl, Mecoprop, and Paraquat by Anodic Fenton Treatment in an SWy-2 Montmorillonite Clay Slurry

The Fenton reaction-based anodic Fenton treatment (AFT) was applied to three widely used organic agrochemicals, carbaryl, mecoprop, and paraquat, in a clay slurry. The adsorption and degradation behaviors of these neutral (carbaryl), anionic (mecoprop), and cationic (paraquat) agrochemicals were studied in a slurry of SWy-2 Na+-montmorillonite clay, and adsorption isotherms were obtained at given experimental conditions. The d spacing (d(001)) of the clay layer before and after adsorption or degradation was measured by X-ray diffraction (XRD). On the basis of the change of d spacing, molecular disposition at the clay interlayer was inferred: both mecoprop and paraquat form a monolayer sitting flat and parallel to the clay siloxane surfaces. Results show that, due to different adsorption mechanisms, the adsorption effect on chemical degradation by AFT varies with pesticide: strong and tight adsorption of paraquat at the clay interlayer protects paraquat from being attacked by hydroxyl radicals; loosely adsorbed carbaryl or mecoprop is readily degraded. XRD analysis clearly indicates that AFT is capable of effectively degrading interlayer noncationic organic chemicals that are not usually available for biodegradation.