The objective of a new study was to evaluate removal efficacy of agrichemicals from water using a small-scale granular activated carbon (GAC) system.
Chemicals reduced below their minimum detection limits after 64 seconds of GAC filtration included acephate, flurprimidol, paclobutrazol, uniconazole, peracetic acid, DDAC, and chlorine. Percent reduction for other chemicals with 64 s GAC was 72.2% for bifenthrin, 89% chlorphyrifos, 85.3% imidacloprid, 99% glyphosate, 99.4% triclopyr, 99.3% hydrogen peroxide, 47.6% iron-EDDHA, and 94.6% soracid blue dye.
GAC filtration can remove many agrichemical contaminants used in greenhouse and nursery production, although greater contact time would be needed in commercial production than in the study.