Photocatalytic degradation of four insecticides and their main generated transformation products in soil and pepper crop irrigated with reclaimed agro-wastewater under natural sunlight

This work is the first-ever study of the concurrence of four insecticides (chlorantraniliprole, imidacloprid, pirimicarb and thiamethoxam) and their main transformation products (TPs) in soil and pepper crop irrigated with reclaimed and non-reclaimed water under agricultural field conditions. Field experiments were conducted using different irrigation supplies: control water (CW), wastewater polluted with phytosanitary commercial products containing the studied insecticides (WW) and reclaimed wastewater after a photocatalytic processing with TiO2/Na2S2O8 at pilot plant under sunlight (RWW). Photocatalytic treatments removed most of the insecticides and their TPs generated during the photoperiod. Neither target insecticides nor their TPs were detected in pepper samples when CW and RWW were used as irrigation source, whereas the four insecticides and two TPs were detected when WW was used. In the experiment carried out with WW, all insecticides and eight TPs were detected in soil samples. The impact of using reclaimed water on the quality of pepper crop was also assessed, showing barely any significant difference. [Display omitted] •Solar photocatalytic (SP) oxidation of 4 insecticides was studied in wastewater (WW).•3 irrigation waters (WW, WW+insecticides and WW+insecticides+SP treatment) were used.•The presence and fate of TPs in irrigation water, soil and pepper was evaluated.•None of insecticides and their TPs were identified in treated water, soil and pepper.•Treated water was used on a pepper crop without reducing its quality.