TITLE:
Degradation and Detoxification of Banana Postharvest Treatment Water Using Advanced Oxidation Techniques
AUTHORS:
Dunia E. Santiago, Elisenda Pulido Melián, Cristina Fernández Rodríguez, José A. Ortega Méndez, Sebastián O. Pérez-Báez, José M. Doña-Rodríguez
KEYWORDS:
Thiabendazole, Imazalil Sulphate, Photocatalysis, Fenton, Photo-Fenton, Banana Postharvest
JOURNAL NAME:
Green and Sustainable Chemistry,
Vol.1 No.3,
August
31,
2011
ABSTRACT: The elimination and detoxification of water contaminated with the principal commercial fungi-cides—thia- bendazole (Textar 60 T) and imazalil sulphate (Fruitgard IS 7.5)—used in the postharvest treatment of bananas was successfully achieved through the use of advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). The techniques tested were heterogeneous photocatalysis with TiO2 and TiO2-activated carbon (TiO2-CA) and Fenton and photo-Fenton processes. The evolution of fungicide concentration during degradation was studied together with mineralization and toxicity levels. When treated with any of the methods under study, the water meets the conditions stipulated by the legislation currently in force for its reuse in irrigation. However, this study proposes that the Fenton process is the best option for treatment of this type of water due to the efficiency of its reactions and its low economic cost.