Diazinon pesticide degradation using TiO2-activated carbon composite

Abstract

Diazinon is an organophosphate pesticide that farmers widely use to eradicate plant pests to increase agricultural yields. However, the continuous use of pesticides can cause the accumulation of environmental pollution, so there needs to be a solution to overcome this problem. In this study, the pesticide diazinon was degraded using a TiO2-Active Carbon composite. The synthesis of TiO2-Active Carbon composite was carried out using the hydrothermal method by mixing TiO2 powder and activated carbon (mass variations of activated carbon: 37.5%, 41.2%, and 44.4%) and dispersing it in 40 mL distilled water. The hydrothermal synthesis process was carried out in an autoclave at 150°C for 12 hours. The SEM image of the TiO2-Activated Carbon composite shows that TiO2 particles have been observed adhering to the activated carbon surface. This result is also strengthened by EDX spectral data, which shows the presence of the Ti element in the material. FTIR analysis showed the presence of intermolecular bonds between activated carbon and TiO2 in the TiO2-Activated Carbon composite. Based on the photodegradation test of diazinon compounds, with a dose of 1.6 g/200 ml, it was found that the TiO2-Active Carbon/(41.2%) composite had the highest photocatalytic ability in degrading diazinon compounds (67.13% for 9 hours).