Modification of polymer flocculants for the removal of atrazine from water

AGRO 134

Timothy S. Goebel, tsgoebel@hotmail.com1, Kevin J. McInnes1, S. A. Senseman, s-senseman@tamu.edu2, and Eric E. Simenak3. (1) Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Texas A&M University, 370 Olsen Blvd MS2474, College Station, TX 77843, (2) Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, Texas A&M University System, 2474 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-2474, (3) Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University
Atrazine is a triazine herbicide used to control broadleaf weeds as well as some grassy weeds. It often contaminates surface water bodies through storm-water runoff. Contaminated runoff water contains atrazine sorbed to suspended solids and atrazine in solution. Commercially available polyacrylamide flocculants are effective at removing solids along with the associated sorbed phase, but not the soluble phase. This study was conducted to investigate the possibility of producing a polyacrylamide flocculant that would effectively remove both sorbed and soluble atrazine from an aqueous suspension. A polymer flocculant was created from acrylamide monomers, monomers containing trimethyl ammonium groups, and monomers containing cyclic secondary amines. The cyclic secondary amines were used to trap atrazine molecules to the new polymer through a nucleophilic aromatic substitution reaction. In tests with contaminated suspensions, significantly more atrazine was removed from solution with the new polymers compared to the commercially available polyacrylamide Magnifloc®.
 

Agrochemical Education Awards For Graduate Student Travel: Research Poster Presentations
1:00 PM-5:00 PM, Tuesday, 12 September 2006 Moscone Center -- Hall D, Poster

Sci-Mix
8:00 PM-10:00 PM, Monday, 11 September 2006 Moscone Center -- Hall D, Sci-Mix

Division of Agrochemicals

The 232nd ACS National Meeting, San Francisco, CA, September 10-14, 2006