Nanofiltration Process for Pesticides Removal

Producing food for the increasing human population generally results in increased use of pesticides, which is finding its way into drinking water supplies. This research is proven to filter up to 85 % of dimethoate and more than 95% of atrazine.

Title of project: Modulated Nanofiltration Process for Pesticides Removal: An Agriculture Remediation

Prof. Abdul Latif Ahmad
Dr. Syamsul Rizal Abd. Shukor
Tan Lian See

Producing sufficient agriculture crops for the increasing human population with a limited amount of land results in pesticides being indispensable in agriculture industry and its usage as pest control will not cease. Huge amount of pesticides used in agriculture sector is the emerging contaminants in drinking water supplies. This is because pesticides applied directly to the soil can be washed off by rain into nearby surface water or percolate through the soil to lower soil layers and groundwater. There is a long list of pesticides in guidelines for drinking water by World Health Organization, however, data on effectiveness of dimethoate rejection using membrane has not been found so far.

In order to safeguard people's health especially with the increasingly active agriculture activities emphasized in the Ninth Malaysia Plan, this research applies nanofiltration membrane for retention against dimethoate and atrazine, pesticides which are relevant to our Malaysia agriculture scenario.

This research is the first effort in our country to abate pesticides present in water due to the active agriculture activity as no remedy for pesticides in water has been created in Malaysia so far.

The current research is able to:
Retain approximately 85% of dimethoate and more than 95% retention of atrazine.
Operate at a pressure of 6 bar, a distinctly low operating pressure as compared to the much higher pressure required for reverse osmosis process.
Eliminate frequent regeneration process required for treatment processing using activated carbon.

Thus, this research would provide an easy to operate and reliable method for abating pesticides abundantly used in agriculture sector from reaching people via water. This matter is very urgent and important because pesticides will continue to be used for pest controls, but it is up to us to find ways to avoid many of the pesticides poisonings and contamination that exist today.

Contact details of the lead researcher is available to registered journalists from the link below

For more information, please email [email protected]

Published: 11 Sep 2007

Contact details:

Universiti Sains Malaysia 11800 Minden Penang

++604-6533888 (Main Campus), ++609-7651704/00/11(Health Campus), ++604-5937788 (Engineering Campus)
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