• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.321-326
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• 2007

An organophosphorus insecticide, chlorpyrifos, has been of a great concern due to persistence, toxicity and accumulation in soils and groundwaters. This study deals with degradation efficiency and dechlorination kinetics of chlorpyrifos by various types of zerovalent irons (ZVIs) for effective remediation of the soils contaminated with chlorinated pesticides. Chlorpyrifos degradation rate was increased with increasing ZVI treatment amount and reaction time. The degradation rate and dechlorination kinetics of chlorpyrifos increased in the order of mZVI > nZVI > cZVI in solutions and soils. Dechlorination number value of chlorpyrifos by cZVI, nZVI and mZVI treatment exhibited 1.08, 3.09 and 3.18, respectively. In soils, degradation efficiency and kinetics of chlorpyrifos significantly were affected by moisture content because of the limited contact between ZVIs and chlorpyrifos. These results suggest that nanosized and functionalized mZVI could be effectively applied to degradation of chlorinated pesticides in the soil and aqueous environments.