Treatment of Wastewaters Containing Sulfonylurea Herbicides by Electroflotation: Chemical and Ecotoxicological Efficacy
Electroflotation (EF) is an electroanalytical technique applied for separating substances suspended in phase and is reported to be efficient for effluents and wastewater treatments. To date, there are no studies employing EF for the treatment of wastewater containing toxic organic compounds. In the...
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MDPI AG
2022-09-01
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| author | Ramom R. Nunes Rui Ribeiro Gabriel M. Morão Maria O. O. Rezende Matilde Moreira-Santos |
| author_facet | Ramom R. Nunes Rui Ribeiro Gabriel M. Morão Maria O. O. Rezende Matilde Moreira-Santos |
| author_sort | Ramom R. Nunes |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Electroflotation (EF) is an electroanalytical technique applied for separating substances suspended in phase and is reported to be efficient for effluents and wastewater treatments. To date, there are no studies employing EF for the treatment of wastewater containing toxic organic compounds. In the present study, EF was tested as an electro-oxidative process to decontaminate wastewater containing the sulfonylurea herbicide chlorimuron-ethyl. To evaluate the value of EF, both the chemical and ecotoxicological efficacies were assessed in non-treated and treated wastewaters; the former monitored the herbicide and degradation products in the reaction medium through analytical chromatographic methods, whereas the latter comprised testing the 72 h growth of the green microalga <i>Raphidocelis subcapitata</i> and the 48 h lethality of the cladoceran <i>Daphnia magna</i>. Analysis by HPLC-UV allowed the monitoring of the electrochemical reaction, and a degradation mechanism based on gas chromatography–mass spectrometry was proposed. Despite the compromised herbicide structure, non-treated and treated wastewaters were similarly toxic for the microalgae <i>Raphidocelis subcapitata</i> and the invertebrate <i>Daphnia magna</i>. Even though EF did not remove the wastewater toxicity, the results indicate that toxic organic compounds are potentially oxidized by EF while signaling the need to combine chemical and ecotoxicological approaches to gauge the environmental sustainability of EF. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T01:05:33Z |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4441 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T01:05:33Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
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| series | Water |
| spelling | doaj.art-8b71fa4f426c479dba60da6be620b6a32023-11-23T14:27:14ZengMDPI AGWater2073-44412022-09-011417272310.3390/w14172723Treatment of Wastewaters Containing Sulfonylurea Herbicides by Electroflotation: Chemical and Ecotoxicological EfficacyRamom R. Nunes0Rui Ribeiro1Gabriel M. Morão2Maria O. O. Rezende3Matilde Moreira-Santos4Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Avenida Gregório Ferraz Nogueira, S/N, Serra Talhada 56909-535, PE, BrazilCentre for Functional Ecology–Science for People and the Planet, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456 Coimbra, PortugalLaboratory of Environmental Chemistry, São Carlos Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo, Avenida Trabalhador São Carlense, 400, São Carlos 13566-590, SP, BrazilLaboratory of Environmental Chemistry, São Carlos Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo, Avenida Trabalhador São Carlense, 400, São Carlos 13566-590, SP, BrazilCentre for Functional Ecology–Science for People and the Planet, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456 Coimbra, PortugalElectroflotation (EF) is an electroanalytical technique applied for separating substances suspended in phase and is reported to be efficient for effluents and wastewater treatments. To date, there are no studies employing EF for the treatment of wastewater containing toxic organic compounds. In the present study, EF was tested as an electro-oxidative process to decontaminate wastewater containing the sulfonylurea herbicide chlorimuron-ethyl. To evaluate the value of EF, both the chemical and ecotoxicological efficacies were assessed in non-treated and treated wastewaters; the former monitored the herbicide and degradation products in the reaction medium through analytical chromatographic methods, whereas the latter comprised testing the 72 h growth of the green microalga <i>Raphidocelis subcapitata</i> and the 48 h lethality of the cladoceran <i>Daphnia magna</i>. Analysis by HPLC-UV allowed the monitoring of the electrochemical reaction, and a degradation mechanism based on gas chromatography–mass spectrometry was proposed. Despite the compromised herbicide structure, non-treated and treated wastewaters were similarly toxic for the microalgae <i>Raphidocelis subcapitata</i> and the invertebrate <i>Daphnia magna</i>. Even though EF did not remove the wastewater toxicity, the results indicate that toxic organic compounds are potentially oxidized by EF while signaling the need to combine chemical and ecotoxicological approaches to gauge the environmental sustainability of EF.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/14/17/2723electroflotationchlorimuron-ethyl<i>Raphidocelis subcapitata</i><i>Daphnia magna</i>green chemistry |
| spellingShingle | Ramom R. Nunes Rui Ribeiro Gabriel M. Morão Maria O. O. Rezende Matilde Moreira-Santos Treatment of Wastewaters Containing Sulfonylurea Herbicides by Electroflotation: Chemical and Ecotoxicological Efficacy Water electroflotation chlorimuron-ethyl <i>Raphidocelis subcapitata</i> <i>Daphnia magna</i> green chemistry |
| title | Treatment of Wastewaters Containing Sulfonylurea Herbicides by Electroflotation: Chemical and Ecotoxicological Efficacy |
| title_full | Treatment of Wastewaters Containing Sulfonylurea Herbicides by Electroflotation: Chemical and Ecotoxicological Efficacy |
| title_fullStr | Treatment of Wastewaters Containing Sulfonylurea Herbicides by Electroflotation: Chemical and Ecotoxicological Efficacy |
| title_full_unstemmed | Treatment of Wastewaters Containing Sulfonylurea Herbicides by Electroflotation: Chemical and Ecotoxicological Efficacy |
| title_short | Treatment of Wastewaters Containing Sulfonylurea Herbicides by Electroflotation: Chemical and Ecotoxicological Efficacy |
| title_sort | treatment of wastewaters containing sulfonylurea herbicides by electroflotation chemical and ecotoxicological efficacy |
| topic | electroflotation chlorimuron-ethyl <i>Raphidocelis subcapitata</i> <i>Daphnia magna</i> green chemistry |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/14/17/2723 |
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