STUDY OF PERSULFATE ACTIVATION BY ACTIVATED CARBON MADE FROM SUGARCANE BAGASSE FOR THE REMOVAL OF THE HERBICIDE AMICARBAZONE FROM AQUEOUS ENVIRONMENTS

• Grant number: 25/05511-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: August 01, 2025
• End date: September 30, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Sanitary Engineering - Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment
• Principal Investigator: Marcela Prado Silva Parizi
• Grantee: Lucas Pedrotti de Oliveira
• Supervisor: Catia Alexandra Leca Graca
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia (FCT). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Presidente Prudente. Presidente Prudente , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Universidade do Porto (UP), Portugal
• Associated to the scholarship: 24/22524-6 - Study on the Degradation of the Herbicide Amicarbazone Using Advanced Oxidation Techniques Mediated by Sulfate Radicals, BP.IC

Abstract

Brazil is one of the largest sugarcane producers in the world, and its production has been steadily increasing. At the same time, the use of pesticides has intensified, making the country the world's largest pesticide consumer in 2022, with the application of 801,000 tons. Amicarbazone, a herbicide that emerged as an alternative to atrazine, is widely used for pest control in this crop. However, it is a persistent pollutant that is not degraded by conventional water and wastewater treatment methods.Considering the work being carried out under FAPESP process No. 2024/22524-6, which aims to study the removal of the pesticide amicarbazone from aqueous media through an advanced oxidation process mediated by sulfate radicals with different persulfate activation pathways, this project intends to contribute to the study of AMZ removal via persulfate activation using carbon derived from SCB.The expertise of the LSRE-LCM research group at the University of Porto, particularly in the application of advanced oxidation processes for water treatment, with an emphasis on heterogeneous catalysis using alternative (non-metallic) catalysts, will be essential for the development of this research.