How testing and/or remove pesticides & herbicides in water

Question

Hello ,
 
Most of times having a water point at your own house means that it will be used for the household and for productive use for example in/at gardens. From a maintenance point of view this is great it gives a boost to functionality rates.
 
In one of our projects (https://jacana.help/water) we would like to test the presence of pesticides & herbicides in water. Does anybody know how this can be done?
 
Affordable household water treatment can solve a lot of contamination problems already. Although people who just invested in improving their water source often don’t have the capacity or will to invest in water treatment. Because they feel the quality of their water has already improved a lot. Any ideas on removing chemical pollution in a Self-supply setting are also very welcome.
 
This is a list of the most used agro-chemicals in the area:
Pesticides
Delto 2.5EC - Active ingredient: Deltamethrine 25 G/L Dithane  Mancozeb spinosad Indoxacarb Sulphur 80% W Monocrotophos 
Herbicides
Glyphosate Glyphocure Piranah Round up Glyphocure Kolopa and Succeed all containing active ingredients: atrazine, mesotrione, and nicosulfuron Lumax containing tebuthylazin, mesotrione and S-metolachlor  
Fertilizers
Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, zinc, iron, manganese, copper, boron and molybdenum based fertilizers 
 
 
 
Kind regards,
 
Rik Haanen
 
rik.haanen@jacana.help
Skype: RikHaanen
http://jacana.help

Ronald Visser · Answer

You Also can use Charcoal

maarten waterloo · Answer

Hi Rik,
Because of the low concentrations of pesticides and the specialised equipment needed to do the analysis, this can only be done in a well-equipped laboratory and usually at significant costs. The best thing to do would be to avoid leaching of high quantities of pesticides by better application in agriculture. In many cases application to crops is to high and spraying techniques could be improved. The bulk of pesticides may also be absorbed in the top soil. We just gave a training in pesticide application techniques in Ethiopia to improve application.
For nutrients and trace elements cheap strip tests are available (e.g. nitrate, nitrite, phosphate) that will give an estimate of concentrations, and a colorimeter/spectrophotometer could be used to test the other parameters in the field. Colorimeters are affordable in a project and the required reagents are not too expensive either. Tests can be carried out in a few minutes. Please contact me if you want to know more about this (maarten.waterloo@acaciawater.com).
Regards, Maarten

Sean Roop · Answer

Test using GC/MS or GC/IR.  May require an advanced oxidation processes to break down and follow by NF or even RO.  Expensive, but you are sure to take care of these nasty substances.  You will need to monitor the concentrated reject for other species that could have been created during the AOP.  Good luck!  Sean L Roop

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