Use of Simulated Sunlight Radiation and Hydrogen Peroxide to Remove Xenobiotics from Aqueous Solutions

Abstract

Xenobiotics, which include a wide range of synthetic chemicals and compounds, have become a significant threat to water quality and biodiversity. The need for innovative and sustainable solutions to mitigate the impact of pollutants on our ecosystems has become a hot topic of numerous discussions and research. One such solution lies in the potential application of simulated solar radiation and hydrogen peroxide to remove pesticides from aqueous solutions. In this paper, we investigated the possibility of removing selected pesticides (acetamiprid, clothianidin, and thiacloprid) under the influence of simulated solar radiation with and without the presence of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The influence of pH value and H2O2 concentration on removal and toxicity before and after photolytic removal was examined. The results showed that clothianidin is almost completely removed (94.80–96.35%) after 5 h under the influence of simulated solar radiation, while thiacloprid and acetamiprid confirm their persistence and resistance to photolytic degradation. The addition of H2O2 leads to the removal of all three pesticides and results in a significant acceleration of the degradation process itself and the removal of the individual pesticides already within 2 h. According to the data obtained, the k values obtained in the paper follow the following trend: clothianidin > thiacloprid > acetamiprid.