The present study was performed to investigate photodegradation rate constants and degradation products of dichlorvos and methidathion by the USEPA method. The two pesticides were very stable in sunlight for 16 days from September 2 to 18, 1998 and humic acid had no sensitizing effect on the photolysis of each pesticide in sunlight. The photolysis rate was fastest for methidathion, followed by dichlorvos in the presence of UV irradiation. Photodegradation rate constant and half-life of dichlorvos were 0.0208 and 33.3 min, respectively. Photodegradation rate constant and half-life of methidathion were 0.6789 and 1.0min, respectively. The two pesticides were degraded completely in the presence of UV irradiation and UV irradiation with TiO₂ in about 3 hours. Therefore, it is suggested that UV treatment will be effective for the degradation of pesticides in the process of drinking water purification. In case of dichlorvos and methidathion, UV irradiation with TiO₂ was more effective for degradation than UV irradiation. In order to identify photolysis products, the extracts of degradation products were analyzed by GC/ MS. The mass spectrum of photolysis products of dichlorvos was at m/z 153, those of the photolysis of methidathion were at m/z 198 and 214, respectively. Photolysis products of dichlorvos was O, O-dimethyl phosphate(DMP), those of methidathion were O, O-dimethyl phosphorothioate(DMTP) and O, O-dimethyl phosphorodithioate (DMDTP).

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