Removal of Some Pesticides from Aqueous Solutions using PVP/(AAc-co-Sty) Hydrogels Prepared by Gamma Radiation

Poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone)/(acrylic acid-co-styrene) [PVP/(AAc-co-Sty)] hydrogels were prepared by γ-irradiation to design as adsorptive systems. The adsorption of agricultural pesticides Fluometuron (FH), Thiophanate Methyl (TF) and Trifluralin (TI) on radiation-induced graft copolymeric adsorbents has been studied. The prepared hydrogels were characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the thermal properties were studied by using thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The ionic character of the prepared hydrogel was improved by treatment with alkaline (NaOH), sulfonation (Sf) and alkaline/sulfonation (NaOH/Sf). The swelling as a function of PVP concentration, AAc/Sty composition, irradiation dose, temperature and pH were studies. The adsorption of pesticides on the hydrogel matrix under different conditions was studied to determine which factors have the most affect and control the adsorption capacity of hydrogel. AAc/Sty composition, type of pesticide, temperature, concentration and pH of pesticide feed solution are greatly affect the pesticide uptake. It was found that the prepared hydrogels have a great efficiency to recover the pesticides from their solutions, the maximum pesticide uptake was found to be in the sequence: TI > TF > FH. The results concluded that the alkaline/sulfonation- treated PVP/(AAc-co-Sty) hydrogels possess high efficiency for removal of pesticides.