REMOVAL OF PESTICIDE RESIDUES FROM WATER BY ORGANO-BENTONITES

Contamination of water resources with pesticides residues becomes a pressing problem in Gaza due to the frequent application of pesticides in the intensive agricultural system. This study tests the potential of using organo-bentonite as a porous material to remove bromoxynil residues from contaminated water. Bentonite surfaces were activated for removal of bromoxynil residues from water by simple ion exchange reaction using Hexadecyl tributyl phosphonium (HDTBP+) or N-cetylperidinium (NCP) salts. HPLC results showed that raw bentonite is a poor material for removing bromoxynil residues, whereas NCP+-/HDTBP +-bentonite are powerful materials for removing bromoxynil residues due to changing bentonite surfaces from hydrophilic to hydrophobic. Reducing the temperature or the pH of the solution further enhanced the removal process. These results suggest that NCP+-/HDTBP+-Bentonite are promising porous material for removing bromoxynil residues from water. The application of these materials in water filter may be a promising and economically feasible technology for water purification.