An effective way to eliminate atrazine and its byproducts in surface water

Atrazine, widely used as a weedkiller, is known to have harmful effects on aquatic wildlife and presents a risk to human health by altering the action of certain hormones. In a study published recently in Water Research, a team of researchers led by INRS professor Patrick Drogui compares various processes used to degrade atrazine, one of the most common pesticides detected in surface water in Quebec. The team demonstrates that photo-electro-Fenton (PEF), a hybrid process, is particularly effective for removing low concentrations of atrazine and its byproducts in surface water sampled from agricultural areas. The study marks the first use of PEF in these conditions.