New Insights into Materials for Pesticide and Other Agricultural Pollutant Remediation
Afonso Henrique da Silva Júnior,
Júlia de Oliveira Martins Müller,
Carlos Rafael Silva de Oliveira,
Agenor de Noni Junior,
Robert Kimutai Tewo,
Washington Mhike,
Adriano da Silva,
António Benjamim Mapossa,
Uttandaraman Sundararaj
Affiliations
Afonso Henrique da Silva Júnior
Department of Chemical Engineering and Food Engineering, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis 88040-900, SC, Brazil
Júlia de Oliveira Martins Müller
Department of Chemical Engineering and Food Engineering, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis 88040-900, SC, Brazil
Carlos Rafael Silva de Oliveira
Department of Chemical Engineering and Food Engineering, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis 88040-900, SC, Brazil
Agenor de Noni Junior
Department of Chemical Engineering and Food Engineering, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis 88040-900, SC, Brazil
Robert Kimutai Tewo
Department of Chemical Engineering, Dedan Kimathi University of Technology, Kiganjo/Mathari, B5, Dedan Kimathi, Nyeri Private Bag 10143, Kenya
Washington Mhike
Polymer Technology Division, Department of Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria 0183, South Africa
Adriano da Silva
Department of Chemical Engineering and Food Engineering, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis 88040-900, SC, Brazil
António Benjamim Mapossa
Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
Uttandaraman Sundararaj
Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
The increase in the world population and the intensification of agricultural practices have resulted in the release of several contaminants into the environment, especially pesticides and heavy metals. This article reviews recent advances in using adsorbent and catalytic materials for environmental decontamination. Different materials, including clays, carbonaceous, metallic, polymeric, and hybrid materials, are evaluated for their effectiveness in pollutant removal. Adsorption is an effective technique due to its low cost, operational simplicity, and possibility of adsorbent regeneration. Catalytic processes, especially those using metallic nanoparticles, offer high efficiency in degrading complex pesticides. Combining these technologies can enhance the efficiency of remediation processes, promoting a more sustainable and practical approach to mitigate the impacts of pesticides and other agricultural pollutants on the environment. Therefore, this review article aims to present several types of materials used as adsorbents and catalysts for decontaminating ecosystems affected by agricultural pollutants. It discusses recent works in literature and future perspectives on using these materials in environmental remediation. Additionally, it explores the possibilities of using green chemistry principles in producing sustainable materials and using agro-industrial waste as precursors of new materials to remove contaminants from the environment.
