Evaluating removal of metribuzin pesticide from contaminated groundwater using an electrochemical reactor combined with ultraviolet oxidation

The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the removal of the pesticide metribuzin from contaminated groundwater by means of an electrochemical reactor equipped with iron cylindrical concentric bipolar electrodes. The optimization of the experimental parameters such as current density, pH, initial concentration of metribuzin and salt concentration, for pesticide removal was first assessed. The elimination of the pollutant was found to be up to 89%. When this electrochemical process was combined with an ultraviolet oxidation process, the contaminant removal rate reached 95%. However, the results also suggested that the addition of hydrogen peroxide may reduce the process performance possibly due to increased turbidity. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.