Microwave-induced degradation of atrazine sorbed in mineral micropores

The herbicide atrazine is a common pollutant in reservoirs and other sources of drinking water worldwide. The adsorption of atrazine from water onto zeolites CBV-720 and 4A, mesoporous silica MCM-41, quartz sand, and diatomite, and its microwave-induced degradation when sorbed on these minerals, were studied. Dealuminated HY zeolite CBV-720 exhibited the highest atrazine sorption capacity among the mineral sorbents because of its high micropore volume, suitable pore sizes, and surface hydrophobicity. Atrazine sorbed on the minerals degraded under microwave irradiation due to interfacial selective heating by the microwave, while atrazine in aqueous solution and associated with PTFE powder was not affected. Atrazine degraded rapidly in the micropores of CBV-720 under microwave irradiation and its degradation intermediates also decomposed with further irradiation, suggesting atrazine could be fully mineralized. Two new degradation intermediates of atrazine, 3,5-diamino-1,2,4-triazole and guanidine, were first identified in this study. The evolution of degradation intermediates and changes in infrared spectra of CBV-720 after microwave irradiation consistently indicate the creation of microscale hot spots in the micropores and the degradation of atrazine following a pyrolysis mechanism. These results indicate that microporous mineral sorption coupled with microwave-induced degradation could serve as an efficient treatment technology for removing atrazine from drinking water.