Comparative adsorptive behaviour of cow dung ash and starch as potential eco-friendly matrices for controlled organophosphorus pesticides delivery.

The work reported herein explores the viability of cow dung ash (CDA) as a matrix for controlled pesticide delivery, by comparing its adsorptive characteristics towards two organophosphorus pesticides with those of starch, conventionally utilized in designing controlled pesticide delivery systems. CDA was characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD). Data for pesticide adsorption on the surfaces correlate well with Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms, with the former isotherm giving a slightly better fit (R ≥ 0.