Organochlorine pesticides removal by pinus bark sorption

Pesticides belong to a chemical family that calls our attention because of its hazardous effects in the environment. The organochlorine pesticides were strongly used in the past, but their persistency and bioaccumulation make them an actual problem. Common wastewater treatment methods, like activated carbon sorption, mean expensive investment and operating costs. Pine bark is a wood industry byproduct and has a high affinity with hydrophobic compounds because of its organic composition. The aim of this work is to test the capability of this material to remove organochlorine pesticides from water solutions. This capability was quantified by studying the best operating conditions for pine bark fixed bed mini-columns, the yield of removal from spiked water solutions, and the saturation parameters. The yield of removal from spiked organochlorine water solutions ranging from 1 to 10 mu g/l, was 97% on average, for heptachlor, aldrin, endrin, dieldrin, DDD, DDT, and DDE. Lindane could not be efficiently adsorbed by this methodology (38% for yield of removal). Saturation studies, performed until 60.00 L of spiked solution/g of adsorbent was reached, did not reveal system rupture. When compared with activated carbon, pine bark displays analogous response, suggesting that for compounds with similar physicochemical characteristics pine bark will play a significant role.