A Review of Various Advanced Oxidation Techniques for Pesticide Degradation for Practical Application in Aqueous Environments

Pesticides are chemicals used in agriculture, industry, and households to control pests and enhance crop yields but have emerged as pollutants in soil and water due to their presence in domestic and agricultural wastewater effluents. The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified the development of pesticide resistance as a significant threat to global public health. Consequently, removing pesticides in aqueous environments has gained considerable attention. Numerous methodologies, including biological, physical, and chemical methods, have been employed for their treatment. Among these methods, advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have garnered particular interest due to their fast reaction rates and strong oxidizing abilities. This review focuses on various AOPs such as Fenton and Fenton-like oxidation, ozonation, the UV/H2O2 process, electrochemical oxidation, photocatalytic oxidation, and the UV/O3 process. The review analyzes and summarizes the current applications of these AOPs for treating pesticides in aqueous environments. It also compares various AOPs treatment methods and discusses the challenges, drawbacks, advantages, and strategies for addressing these issues, and provides insights into the future prospects. Finally, it propose potential strategies and areas of improvement for future research to enhance the efficiency and sustainability of AOPs in practical application.