Jarvis, PeterJefferson, BruceCosgrove, Stephanie Leanne2024-02-152024-02-152018-12https://dspace.lib.cranfield.ac.uk/handle/1826/20810The use of pesticides in modern agriculture is necessary in order to maintain high crop yields, however this use of pesticides can risk contamination of potable water sources. In order to prevent potable water contamination, the movement of pesticides out from agricultural environments must be prevented. In this work, adsorption media has been considered as a means to do this as it can be used without external energy requirements and so can be used in remote locations such as farmland catchments. To understand the issue of pesticides in drinking water in the UK, a study on pesticide water quality compliance was conducted using data available from the Drinking Water Inspectorate water quality regulator. From this, a number of pesticides were identified to be of particular concern. The physico-chemical properties of these pesticides were then established and adsorption media suitable for their removal from water was identified. A field study was conducted to understand the specific conditions under which pesticide run-off occurs using a new sampling methodology that was proportional to the local rainfall. The work then researched in-field adsorption solutions for pesticide removal. This was investigated by using different activated carbon media and determining their speed and efficiency at removing three identified pesticides: metaldehyde, metazachlor and propyzamide. The practical applicability of each medium was then considered by understanding the headlosses that might be observed at a range of realistic flow rates as observed in the field study. This resulted in the selection of an activated carbon fabric for pilot testing in flowing water as a result of its superior kinetic uptake and its effective performance in a complex matrix (raw water) when compared with the other media tested. In addition, the ability to orientate the fabric into a range of practical and flexible configurations will enable reduced headlosses in agricultural environments. The results showed that the activated carbon medium had great potential, achieving approximately 46% removal of the pesticide metaldehyde during flume experiments.en© Cranfield University, 2018. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written permission of the copyright holder.Activated carbonadsorptionmetaldehyderainfallpesticidespotable water contaminationThesis or dissertation