Desenvolvimento de um reator fotocatalítico com automação: Remoção de glifosato e oxitetraciclina com o sistema H2O2/UV-C

Abstract

The sharp growth of the world population requires the optimized production of food and agribusiness represents one of the pillars of support of contemporary society. High food productivity in agribusiness is achieved with the adoption of chemical substances that eliminate microorganisms that cause physiological disorders in plants and animals and cell growth optimizers. In this context, the use of the agricultural pesticide called Glyphosate which eliminates invasive plants from plantations, in addition to the use of the antibiotic called oxytetracycline (OTC) which acts in the prevention of subclinical infections and as animal growth promoters. These substances are persistent contaminants to conventional water and sewage treatments, requiring alternative and clean methodologies for their removal from the water matrix. Thus, in the present study, a photocatalytic reactor with automation was developed, applying the H2O2/UV-C system (254 nm), in the treatment of homogeneous aqueous solutions of commercial Glyphosate and veterinary OTC formulations. The automation used the Arduino platform and promoted monitoring and control of pH and temperature. The study was guided by experimental designs and evaluated by the application of statistical tools ANOVA, F test, Tukey test and comparison with the p-value. The photocatalytic reactor had as an ideal configuration the temperature of 50°C of the solution being treated, using UV-C lamps (254 nm) with a total radiation intensity of 20.90 mW cm-2, applying the values of pH 6 with 3h treatment for veterinary OTC and using pH 9 with 1h treatment for commercial Glyphosate. The photocatalytic reactor was effective in removing commercial Glyphosate and veterinary OTC, completely removing the pesticide and having a maximum removal of 97% of the antibiotic.