Degradation of the endocrine disruptor carbofuran by UV, O3 and O3/UV

The photodegradation of a carbamate insecticide, Carbofuran (CBF), which has been recognised as a potential endocrine disrupting chemical, was studied via different wastewater treatment processes. This study has shown the efficiency of advanced oxidation process, AOP (UV/O-3) than those of the direct UV photolysis and ozonation process, by completely removing 0.2 mM CBF and achieving 24% mineralisation within 30 min. The initial decay of CBF by UV/O-3 accelerated from 0.05 to 0.16 min(-1) as the initial pH increasing from 3.0 to 11.3. The pH-dependency of CBF has also been shown in both ozonation and UV/O-3 process. A linear relationship could be found for the latter process in all pH, while for the former process, two stages of reactions (steady and accelerating) were found in the acidic and alkaline pH condition, respectively.