Decontamination of water from Insecticides.

Application of pesticides, both in agriculture
and public health, results in the
contamination of water resources due to spray
drift, direct application, run off resulting
from rain fall and irrigation. The main source
of this kind of pollution was Dill, BHC and
other chlorinated compounds which are relatively
more persistent than the other group of organophosphorus
group of compounds. Because of the
extensive use of pesticides in agriculture, the
accumulation of these pesticides, in the life
support system is astonishingly high and thus
posed the problem of decontamination. In the
present investigation, 8. few harmless and inert
adsorbents are screened to decontaminate water
bath from organochlorine and organophosphorus
compounds and the results have revealed that
wood charcoal powder at 4% level completely
removed lindane, leLC, Dill and at 5% level parathion
and fenitrothion. 1'ialathion was removed
to 90%. Since the treatment is simple, quick,
economical and harmless, it can be adopted to
purif'y vater for drinking and aquarium purposes ..