Application of Ultrasound-Assisted Supercritical Extraction to Soil Remediation

Abstract

The coupling of ultrasound to supercritical extraction with carbon dioxide has been evaluated as a green remediation technique for soils contaminated with pesticides. The study used samples of soil spiked with atrazine, an organophosphate and contaminant of widespread use. The influence of the operating temperature and pressure on the extraction of atrazine was studied. The extraction of atrazine was enhanced with the use of ultrasound relative to the results obtained from conventional supercritical extraction. This study, operated in semi-continuous mode, demonstrates the possibility of increasing the yield of supercritical extraction by coupling with ultrasound instead of adding co-solvents, which is a greener alternative for removing contaminants such as pesticides from soil matrices. (c) 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim