Cold plasma catalyzed degradation of diazinon in aquatic environment

Title : Cold plasma catalyzed degradation of diazinon in aquatic environment

Abstract:

Pesticides are chemical compounds widely used in crops’ pest control, ensuring high productivity and product quality control. However, pesticides are toxic and can be bioaccumulative. Their excessive use causes environmental and health impacts. In this study, the potential of glow discharge plasma to degrade diazinon present in water was investigated. For the degradation process, a glow discharge plasma (GDP) system was used to process diazinon at several plasma flow rates (10, 20, and 30 mL/min) and exposure times (10, 20, and 30 min). The degradation levels and the identification of the degradation products were analyzed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrum (GC-MS). GDP processing efficiently degraded diazinon, reaching a maximum degradation of 8.19 ± 0.92 mg/L, sufficient to bring diazinon-contaminated waters to safe levels. Two parallel degradation routes were proposed for diazinon degradation by cold plasma.

Audience Take Away: 

• Process for pesticide degradation catalyzed by cold plasma
• Potential application of cold plasma on water treatment
• High degradation power of plasma processes
• The process could be designed for in-line application

Biography:

Dr. Fernandes studied Chemical Engineering at the São Carlos Federal University, Brazil, and graduated with a Ph.D. in 2002. He joined Ceara Federal University in 2005 and is currently a Full Professor at the university. His research focuses on non-thermal technologies, including ultrasound, cold plasma, pulsed UV light, and ozone. He has published more than 140 research articles in international journals and is listed as one of the 2% more influential researchers in the world, according to the Stanford Ranking.