Identification and toxicity of decomposition products of nitrogenous pesticides following ozonation

You are here

Project Period: 
1989
Project Investigator(s): 
BC Kross, M Selim, J Hwang, L Odell, Institute of Agricultural Medicine and Occupational Health, Department of Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health, The University of Iowa
Abstract: 

This project examined the feasibility of point-of-use (POU)/ point-of-entry (POE) ozone treatment systems for in-home use, and their effectiveness at removing the commonly applied pesticides alachlor, atrazine, cyanazine, metolachlor, metribuzin, and propachlor. Tests were conducted in open and closed systems, and efforts were made to simulate probable demand on the system for in-home use. The effectiveness of the ozone system demonstrates oxidation of the pesticides is closely related to the compound oxidized, the pesticide concentration, the ozone concentration, and contact times. Ranking these compounds to their susceptibility to ozone oxidation, metribuzin is the most easily oxidized, followed by alachlor, metolachlor, atrazine, propachlor, and cyanazine. From the tests performed, given a large enough concentration times time (CT) value, oxidation of the pesticides tested to concentrations below health advisory standards can be achieved through ozone POU/POE systems. A follow up study, titled Destruction of nitrogenous pesticides by combined ozone/H2O2 and enzymatic polymerization process was funded by EPA Hazardous Substance Research Center, Region 7.