Reclamation of Water Polluted with Flubendiamide Residues by Photocatalytic Treatment with Semiconductor Oxides

AbstractThe photodegradation of flubendiamide (benzenedicarboxamide insecticide), a relatively new insecticide was investigated in aqueous suspensions binary (ZnO of and TiO2) and ternary (Zn2TiO4 and ZnTiO3) oxides under artificial light (300–460 nm) irradiation. Photocatalytic experiments showed that the addition of semiconductors, especially ZnO and TiO2, in tandem with an electron acceptor (Na2S2O8) enhances the degradation rate of this compound in comparison with those carried out with catalyst alone and photolytic tests. The photocatalytical degradation of flubendiamide using ZnO/Na2S2O8 and TiO2/Na2S2O8 followed first‐order kinetics. In addition, desiodo‐flubendiamide was identified during the degradation of flubendiamide. Finally, application of these reaction systems in different waters (tap, leaching and watercourse) showed the validity of the treatments, which allowed the removal of flubendiamide residues in these drinking and environmental water samples.