Electrochemical degradation of buprofezin insecticide in aqueous solutions by anodic oxidation at boron-doped diamond electrode

Buprofezin (2-tert-butylimino-3-isopropyl-5-phenyl-1,3,5-thiadiazinan-4-one) is identified as a commonly used chemical with satisfactory biological activities against sucking insect pests, but its disposal causes serious environmental problems. This pesticide was treated by an electrolysis system using a boron-doped diamond (BDD) as anode and platinum as cathode. A number of experiments were run on a laboratory scale and the results are presented. The chemical oxygen demand (COD) measurement during the processing permitted the evaluation of the kinetic of organic matter decay and the instantaneous current efficiency. Different operating conditions and factors affecting the treatment process including current density, conductive electrolyte, pH, concentration of buprofezin, and time of electrolysis were studied and optimized. The best obtained conditions for COD removal on the BDD anode to degrade buprofezin solutions (COD0 = 1,200 mg L−1) include operating at 60 mA cm−2 and 25 ± 3 °C. The high efficiency of this technology can be explained in terms of the direct electrooxidation at the BDD surface and the oxidation carried out by hydroxyl radicals (OH•) and other electro-generated oxidants (Cl−, ClO−).