TOXICITY AND HEALTH IMPLICATIONS OF PESTICIDES AND THE NEED TO REMEDIATE PESTICIDE-CONTAMINATED WASTEWATER THROUGH THE ADVANCED OXIDATION PROCESSES
Sulaiman O. Adewuyi, Babatunde T. Ibigbami, Augusta Oluchi Mmuoegbulam, Felix S. Abimbade, Oluyide Michael Abiodun, Michael J. Klink, Simphiwe M. Nelana, Dosu Malomo, Olushola S. Ayanda
Abstract
Pesticides are widely used in homes, industries and agricultural sector, and can travel through water and the air to pollute places far from their point source. Pesticides can find their way into water bodies via industrial wastewater and runoff from agricultural areas and can emit persistent chemicals that contaminate the water system. Since pesticides have a tendency to build up in the body and pose health risks to animals, human and the ecosystem, the issue of pesticides in aquatic environments is one that is causing concern worldwide. Thus, the need to remediate pesticides contaminated wastewater before release into the environment. The removal of pesticides could be accomplished using a variety of conventional treatment techniques, however, these methods have a number of drawbacks, including operating complexity and sludge production, they do not present total removal of pesticide, hence, the need to couple the advanced oxidation treatment processes (AOPs) with existing techniques to achieving close to zero release of organic and inorganic contaminants into the environment. AOPs are suitable as tertiary water treatment techniques and are based on the generation of hydroxyl radicals, which results in their non-selective reactivity with water pollutants, allowing for the mineralization of contaminants and their conversion to CO2 and water. AOPs may be utilized as an additional treatment method and may be employed to oxidize contaminants in pesticides contaminated wastewater. The review will include the most recent information on the use of AOP to treat organic and inorganic contaminants and enable researchers and scientists to pinpoint areas that still require more study.