Electrochemical Degradation of the Pesticide Dimethenamid‐P at Gold, DSA Platinum and Ruthenium Oxide Electrodes in Different Electrolytes

Abstract

For the first time the electrochemical degradation of the pesticide dimethenamid‐P was studied. Its direct electrochemical degradation, using potential cycling at a gold electrode, was performed by cyclic voltammetry and HPLC analysis of electrolyte after 72 h showed 56.8 % of degradation. HPLC‐MS indicates the formation of degradation products through the elimination of chlorine atom and CN bond cleavage. By indirect electrolysis using DSA Ti/PtOx and DSA Ti/RuO2 electrodes during 30 minutes 87.2 % and 88.3 % of dimethenamid‐P was degradated, respectively. The high percentage of degradation of dimethenamid‐P was achieved with non time consuming, simple and cheap electrochemical processes.

Photodegradation of dimethenamid-P in deionised and ground water

“…At the end of the photodegradation reaction (90 min) only traces of DMA-P were detected. When DMA-P was electrochemically degradated the major degradation product was formed by C-N bond cleavage, while Cl elimination produced minor degradation product [1].…”

“…Modern agricultural production in the last decade involves the use of pesticides to a large extent. Dimethenamid-P (2-chloro-N-(2,4-dimethyl-3-thienyl)--N-(2-methoxy-1-methylethyl) acetamide, DMA-P) belongs by its chemical properties and structure to the group of chloroacetamides and plays an important role in the crop protection of broadleaf weeds and annual grasses in row crops [1], primarily in corn, soybean and sorghum [2]. These components include highly toxic and persistent substances and due to exceptional reactivity threaten to jeopardize the aquatic environment through agricultural circle and washing [3][4][5].…”