Study of glyphosate oxidation via solar reactor and phytotoxicological analysis in seedling

• Grant number: 24/08885-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: October 01, 2024
• Status: Discontinued
• Field of knowledge: Interdisciplinary Subjects
• Principal Investigator: Juliane Cristina Forti
• Grantee: Alexandre de Souza Valério
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências e Engenharia. Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Tupã. Tupã , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 25/04581-5 - AMPA OXIDATION USING ELECTROCHEMICAL FLOW REACTOR WITH H2O2 PRODUCTION, BE.EP.IC

Abstract

With the exponential increase in water contamination by pesticides, the herbicide glyphosate stands out, whose harmful effects on the environment and human health require urgent socio-environmental studies, especially on its by-product, AMPA. This project proposes to study aqueous effluents simulated with glyphosate, commercially known as Roundup®, using a solar reactor with composite parabolic collectors (CPC) combined with Fenton's reagent. The joint application of oxidation processes, such as photo-Fenton, demonstrates efficiency and economic attractiveness and may be a promising solution to mitigate the impacts of pesticides on water. Additionally, analysis of residual phytotoxicity in seedlings will be carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of the treatments and the possible damage caused by the herbicide to these plants' biological and antioxidant defense systems. These analyses are fundamental, since plants can be affected by various biological and abiotic stresses, resulting in the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cells. This accumulation can lead to the destruction of the cellular molecular structure and interfere with physiological processes. Therefore, by understanding the effects of treatment on plant biological systems, it is possible to comprehensively assess the effectiveness of glyphosate degradation strategies and their safety for the environment and human health. This proposal is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals, especially SDG 6.