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This work studies the elimination, mineralization and detoxification through Fenton-based processes of wastewaters contaminated with the fungicide imazalil as a result of the postharvest treatment of bananas. Fe(II) and H2O2 concentrations were optimized for degradation of the corresponding imazalil concentrations. The activity of the imazalil degradation process was studied in deionized water and in simulated and real agro-industrial wastewaters. Results show that the water matrix had no detrimental effect on wastewater treatment when using the Fenton technique, but optimal iron content had to be increased when applying the photo-Fenton process. Even so, the optimal iron and H2O2 contents required for the photo-Fenton reaction were 6 times and 50% lower, respectively, than for the Fenton procedure. Solar pilot plant tests confirmed the detoxification of two agro-industrial wastewater effluents containing imazalil.

This work studied the degradation and adsorption of dimethylphthalate (DMP) using various TiO-based photocatalysts: TiO Aeroxide P25, Kronos vlp7000, Hombikat UV-100, Kemira 650 and a synthesized photocatalyst named SG750. As the photocatalysts with mixed anatase and rutile phases, P25 and SG750, showed greater activity than those of pure phase, an in-depth study was undertaken of these two catalysts in the adsorption and degradation of DMP. The degradation results were fitted with a high degree of correlation to the Langmuir-Hinshelwood model and those for adsorption to the Freundlich model. The Freundlich constants showed good correlation with FTIR observations of the DMP-P25 and DMP-SG750 interactions. These two photocatalysts were additionally modified by photodeposition with Pt and Au (0.5–1.5 wt%) to study the effect of these metals on degradation and mineralization kinetics., E. Pulido Melián would like to thank the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria for her postdoctoral contract.