Degradation of a mixture of glyphosate and 2,4-D in water solution employing the UV/H2O2 process, including toxicity evaluation

Abstract

The aim of this work was to evaluate the technical feasibility of the UV/H2O2 process for the treatment of a mixture of two herbicides: glyphosate and 2,4-D at the same concentration level. The influence of the experimental conditions, such as initial hydrogen peroxide dose, initial pH, initial concentration of the mixture of glyphosate and 2,4-D and incident radiation on the oxidation process, have been examined. Toxicity assays (employing Vibrio fischeri) were also performed to monitor samples at different stages of the treatment.