Phenols pesticide-humic substance

Because of their extensive use in industrial activities, phenolic compounds are abundant in many wastewaters. They are present in oil refining, petrochemical, plastic, pesticide, carbon liquefaction, and food processing industrial wastewaters. In addition, phenol-like structures are part of the macromolecular natural humic substances present in water humics are known precursors of trihalomethane compounds in drinking water chlorination [176,177], These compounds are refractory to conventional processes such as biological oxidation because of their toxicity for microorganisms [178]. 

Phenols of enviromnental interest are derived from a wide variety of industrial sources, or present as biodegradation products of humic substances, tannins, and lignins, and as degradation products of many chlorinated phenoxyacid herbicides and organophosphorous pesticides. Phenols, especially chlorophenols, are persistent, and toxic at a few pg/1. Therefore, phenols are hsted at the US-EPA hst of priority pollutants and the EU Directive 76/464/EEC as dangerous substances. The samples to be analysed can be surface waters or industrial effluents. 

The extent of competition may also be a function of the adsorbate molecular size, correlated with the activated carbon pore size distribution. Activated carbon fibers tliat are exclusively microporous (more than 96 % of micropore volume) present a selectivity property for pesticides or phenol in the presence of higher molecidar weight compounds like humic substances, due to the direct connection of micropores to their external surface [41]. Using granular activated carbon, which does not have this molKUilar sieve property, a 20 to 70 % reduction in adsorption is obtained for atrazine in raw water compared with equilibria in distilled water [42]. 

Humans consume and pollute large quantities of water. Chapter 6 through Chapter 26 cover injurious or toxic substances of domestic, agricultural, and industrial sources halogens, sulphur compounds, phosphates, cyanides, asbestos, heavy and other metals, silicon compounds, nitrogen compounds, organic acids, phenolic substances, humic matter, pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, fimgicides, PCBs, PCDFs, PCDDs, PAHs, VOCs, surfactants, EDCs, and plastics residues. 

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