17 - Potential of nanoscale carbon-based materials for remediation of pesticide-contaminated environment

Abstract

Different pesticides are increasingly used as effective agents against a growing number of different plant diseases and pests causing extensive damage to crops, which is reflected in a notable yield reduction and serious economic losses. Residues of pesticides or their degradation products in environmental matrices have adverse effects on many nontarget organisms, causing much damage to biodiversity overall. Moreover, increased levels of accumulated harmful pesticides in crops and fodder have a negative impact on the health of humans and farm animals. Therefore, it is desirable not only to reduce the applied pesticide amounts to achieve the best possible protection of crops, but also to secure efficient removal of pesticides from the soil, water, and sediment surfaces. For these purposes, nanoformulations for targeted delivery of pesticides and nanoscale adsorbents could be used. Carbon-based materials, such as biochar and activated carbon, characterized by a high specific area have been used as effective adsorbents to remove a wide range of contaminants for a long time. Recently, increased attention has been devoted to nanoscale carbon-based adsorbents, which are able not only to adsorb pesticides or their degradation products but could also significantly contribute to enhanced degradation of pesticides. Powerful carbon-doped TiO2 nanocatalysts provide rapid and efficient decontamination of pesticide-contaminated matrices. By introduction of functional groups (e.g., carboxyl, hydroxyl, phenolic, or amine groups) on the surface of nanoscale carbon-based adsorbents, the removal of positively and negatively charged pesticides is possible. This contribution presents a comprehensive overview of recent research and applications of a wide spectrum of nanoscale carbon-based materials used for pesticide removal from the environment. Special attention being is to highly porous biochar and activated carbon possessing a broad range of nanoscale pore sizes as well as to nanomaterials such as graphene, graphene oxide, reduced graphene oxide, fullerenes, single- and multi-walled carbon nanotubes, and various carbon-doped TiO2 nanocomposites.