POLYSACCHARIDE-BASED NANOCOMPOSITE HYDROGELS WITH ZEOLITE: EVALUATION OF THE SORPTION PROCESS OF PESTICIDE PARAQUAT

In this work, nanocomposites formed from the natural polymer carboxymethylcellulose in combination with the polyacrylamide polymer and zeolite were obtained and characterized in relation to pesticide sorption capability. Hydrogels are three-dimensional network with large capacity of water or biological fluid adsorption. They have biocompatibility, biodegradability and non-toxicity properties, ensuring this class of polymers is widely used in different agriculture fields. Thus, the objective of the work was to investigate the process of paraquat sorption using a novel biodegradable nanocomposite. By mathematical modeling, it was possible to found that better models were the Freundlich-Langmuir isotherm and pseudosecond order kinetic, indicating that sorption is heterogeneous and similar to chemisorption process. Thus, such nanocomposites have great potential to be applied as an adsorbent material for removal of pesticides from contaminated water.