Photodegradation of Pesticides and Photocatalysis in the Treatment of Water and Waste

A brief overview on the main photoprocesses applied to the treatment of water and wastewater is presented. The photodegradation methods that have been applied to the oxidation of organic pollutants are described. A review on advanced oxidation processes (AOP’s) and photooxidation mechanisms in homogeneous and heterogeneous solution is presented and some practical applications discussed. Combinations of biological and chemical treatments are considered to be a good approach to improve the removal efficiencies and reduce costs.