Alternative approaches to determine the efficiency of biomixtures used for pesticide degradation in biopurification systems
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Fecha
2018
Tipo
capítulo de libro
Autores
Rodríguez Rodríguez, Carlos E.
Castro Gutiérrez, Víctor Manuel
Lizano Fallas, Verónica
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Resumen
Biopurification systems were developed for the biological treatment of pesticide-containing wastewaters
originated from agricultural production. They are aimed at reducing point-source contamination related to
the inadequate handling of pesticides during filling and cleaning of spraying equipment or improper
disposal of application residues. These systems contain a biomixture, which comprises their biologically
active core where accelerated pesticide degradation takes place. It is a common practice to determine the
efficiency of biomixtures by analytical approaches that are focused on the quantification of the pesticides and
their subsequent dissipation in time. Nonetheless, the simple removal of original pesticide molecule does
not necessarily indicate that the treatment process is ecologically friendly, due to the possible formation of
transformation products of high toxicity that are difficult to identify and quantify. This chapter discusses
alternative approaches to obtain a more complete scenario regarding biomixture efficiency. These
approaches include the determination of the pesticide mineralization using radiolabeled pesticides and
ecotoxicological assays to determine the detoxification degree achieved by the matrix. Similarly, as the
useful life of biomixtures varies according to the materials employed in its production and the climatic
conditions of every region, the authors also suggest a methodology to monitor the performance of
biomixtures during their aging process.
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Palabras clave
PESTICIDES, Biomixture, TOXICOLOGY, Mineralization, Degradation