Removal of Pesticides from Water by Adsorption on Activated Carbon Prepared from Invasive Plants

Abstract

Pesticide pollution of surface water is a serious global problem. This research was focused on the monitoring of pesticides in surface waters and their subsequent removal using adsorption on activated carbon (AC). Based on the monitoring, four pesticides—acetamiprid, diethyltoluamide, thiacloprid and thiamethoxam—occurred in higher concentrations in all sampling points. Invasive plants occurring near monitored water bodies, Reynoutria japonica (RJ) and Impatiens glandulifera (IG) were used for the preparation of activated carbon with an activating agent (H3PO4 and NaOH) using microwave pyrolysis. The prepared AC was subsequently used for adsorption of the above-mentioned pesticides. The prepared AC was characterized by Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis, elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Individual AC types showed different effects for different pesticides. The maximum adsorption capacity calculated from the Langmuir model was 18.30 mg g−1 for thiacloprid on H3PO4-activated AC from I. glandulifera.