Fate of atrazine in a grassed phytoremediation system

Henderson, Keri L. D.; Belden, Jason B.; Coats, Joel R.

doi:10.1897/06-493r.1

Cited by 15 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…(1194 ppb to 564 ppb), suggesting that the plant continues to degrade atrazine beyond the metabolite cyanuric acid. These results are consistent with a mass balance study by Henderson et al (2007). In that study, the authors also used 14C atrazine to track degradation and observed production of [ 14 C]CO2, signifying complete mineralization of atrazine.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

“…The triazine herbicide atrazine has been one of the most widely used herbicides in agriculture for control broadleaf weeds, mainly in corn, sorghum, and sugarcane crops by a reversible inhibition of photosynthesis (Kruger et al 1993;Henderson, Belden, and Coats 2007;Shimabukuro and Swanson 1969). In 2010, 51 million pounds of atrazine were applied across 18 states, with 6.8 million pounds applied in Iowa alone (NASS 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Belden and Coats (2004) found that a mix of three different prairie grasses reduced atrazine in leachate by 43% and that it was degraded more quickly in vegetated soils than unvegetated soil. 5 Disposition of atrazine metabolites in switchgrass Leaf and root tissue have been shown to be equally capable of taking up and degrading atrazine (Henderson et al 2007). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Disposition of Atrazine Metabolites Following Uptake and Degradation of Atrazine in Switchgrass

Albright¹,

Coats²

2013

International Journal of Phytoremediation

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Extensive use of the agricultural herbicide atrazine has led to contamination of numerous ground and surface water bodies. Research has shown that it can have a variety of negative impacts on numerous non-target organisms in the environment. Phytoremediation is one strategy that has been studied to remove atrazine contamination. This paper investigates the hypothesis that switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) can exude metabolites of atrazine after uptake and degradation, which has been suggested by prior research. Pots planted with switchgrass were treated with a 4 ppm solution of atrazine spiked with [14C]atrazine. After 4 days, switchgrass plants were transplanted to new pots with fresh sand. Four days later, the pots were sacrificed, and sand and plant samples were extracted. Plant and sand samples were analyzed for the presence of atrazine and its major metabolites. The percentage of radiotracer remaining as the parent atrazine was observed to decrease over the course of the study while the percentages of the metabolites were observed to increase. The presence of the metabolite cyanuric acid in a switchgrass phytoremediation system is reported for the first time. plants were transplanted to new pots with fresh sand. Four days later, the pots were sacrificed, and sand and plant samples were extracted. Plant and sand samples were analyzed for the presence of atrazine and its major metabolites. The percentage of radiotracer remaining as the parent atrazine was observed to decrease over the course of the study while the percentages of the metabolites were observed to increase. The presence of the metabolite cyanuric acid in a switchgrass phytoremediation system is reported for the first time.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Disposition of Atrazine Metabolites Following Uptake and Degradation of Atrazine in Switchgrass

Albright¹,

Coats²

2013

International Journal of Phytoremediation

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“…Additionally, this study tries to determine the presence of hydroxyatrazine, which 81 was not detected in the above study, but has been detected in switchgrass residues in other 82 studies (Henderson et al 2007, Lin et al 2008. 83…”

Section: Introduction 25mentioning

confidence: 91%

“…Stands of switchgrass in 56 combination with other native prairie grasses can reduce atrazine in leachate by 43% as well as 57 promote degradation in the rhizosphere (Belden and Coats 2004). A mass balance study, using a 58 mix of three prairie grasses including switchgrass, showed that atrazine and its metabolites were 59 distributed equally between leaf and root tissue (Henderson et al 2007). More recent research 60 used a microbe-free environment to show that switchgrass is capable of taking up and degrading 61 atrazine into several metabolites (Murphy and Coats 2011).…”

Section: Introduction 25mentioning

confidence: 99%

Fate of atrazine in switchgrass–soil column system

et al. 2013

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Atrazine, a broad-leaf herbicide, has been used widely to control weeds in corn and other crops for several decades and its extensive used has led to widespread contamination of soils and water bodies. Phytoremediation with switchgrass and other native prairie grasses is one strategy that has been suggested to lessen the impact of atrazine in the environment. The goal of this study is to characterize: (1) the uptake of atrazine into above-ground switchgrass biomass; and (2) the degradation and transformation of atrazine over time. A fate study was performed using mature switchgrass columns treated with an artificially-created agricultural runoff containing 16 ppm atrazine. Soil samples and above-ground biomass samples were taken from each column and analyzed for the presence of atrazine and its chlorinated metabolites. Levels of atrazine in both soil and plant material were detectable through the first 2 weeks of the experiment but were below the limit of detection by Day 21. Levels of deethylatrazine (DEA) and didealkylatrazine (DDA) were detected in soil and plant tissue intermittently over the course of the study, deisopropylatrazine (DIA) was not detected at any time point. A radiolabel study using [ 14 C]atrazine was undertaken to observe uptake and degradation of atrazine with more sensitivity. Switchgrass columns were treated with a 4 ppm atrazine solution, and aboveground biomass samples were collected and analyzed using HPLC and liquid scintillation counting. Atrazine, DEA, and DIA were detected as soon as 1 d following treatment. Two other metabolites, DDA and cyanuric acid, were detected at later time points, while hydroxyatrazine was not detected at all. The percentage of atrazine was observed to decrease over the course of the study while the percentages of the metabolites increased. Switchgrass plants appeared to exhibit a threshold in regard to the amount of atrazine taken up by the plants; levels of atrazine in leaf material peaked between Days 3 and 4 in both studies. KeywordsAtrazine; Phytoremediation; Switchgrass; Metabolites Disciplines Entomology | Plant Pathology | Weed Science Comments NOTICE: this is the author's version of a work that was accepted for publication in Chemospher. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Chemospher, 90 (6) Atrazine, a broad-leaf herbicide, has been used widely to control weeds in corn and other 2 crops for several decades and its extensive used has led to widespread contamination of soils and 3 water bodies. Phytoremediation with switchgrass and other native prairie grasses is one strategy 4 that has been suggested to lessen the impact of atrazine in the environment. The goal of this 5 study is to characterize: 1) the uptake of atrazine into above-ground switchgrass biomass; ...

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The capacity of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) to degrade atrazine in a phytoremediation setting

Murphy

Coats

2011

Enviro Toxic and Chemistry

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Atrazine is a widely used herbicide in agriculture. Non-point source contamination of groundwater and drinking water may pose a significant threat to humans, wildlife, and the environment. Phytoremediation may provide a cost-effective strategy for reducing non-point source contamination of atrazine from agricultural runoff. Previous studies have shown that the rhizosphere of the native prairie grass, switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) is capable of enhancing the degradation of atrazine in soils. Biodegradation also may occur within the plant biomass; however, the extent to which this occurs has not been studied. We hypothesize that switchgrass has the capacity to degrade atrazine in vivo, in addition to the microbial biotransformation that occurs in its rhizosphere. The goals of this study were to characterize the ability of switchgrass to take up atrazine from soils, quantify the amount of biodegradation occurring in the plant, and quantify the amount of degradation occurring in the rhizosphere. Switchgrass seedlings were transplanted into autoclaved and nonautoclaved sand containing 10 µg/g atrazine in sand. Treatments were sacrificed on days 0, 3, and 7. Sand and plant tissue extracts were analyzed by gas chromatography to determine the concentration of atrazine and metabolites in sand and plant tissues. Results demonstrated that leaf biomass is capable of detoxifying atrazine, because metabolites were present in leaf material and not in the sand or root. Phytoremediation is partially a result of microbial processes in the rhizosphere. Degradation may also occur within the plant biomass; however the extent to which this occurs remains unknown. We hypothesize that switchgrass has the capacity to degrade atrazine. The goal of this study was to: 1) characterize the ability of switchgrass to accumulate atrazine from soils; 2) quantify the amount of degradation occurring in the plant; and 3) quantify the amount of degradation occurring in the rhizosphere. Switchgrass seedlings were transplanted into autoclaved and non-autoclaved sand containing 10 µg of atrazine per gram of sand. Treatments were sacrificed on Days 0, 15, and 30. Sand and plant tissue extracts were analyzed on gas chromatograph equipped with a thermionic specific detector to determine the concentration of atrazine and metabolites in sand and plant tissues. Autoclaved treatments remained relatively sterile for the duration of experiment, ensuring atrazine degradation as the sole result of plant enzymes in vegetated and autoclaved treatments. Concentrations of atrazine and metabolites in leaf tissue were not affected by the presence or absence of microbes in the sand, as concentrations were statistically the same in both autoclaved and non-autoclaved treatments.This supports leaf biomass being capable of detoxifying atrazine as metabolites were present in leaf material and not in the sand or root.

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Fate of atrazine in a grassed phytoremediation system

Cited by 15 publications

References 20 publications

Disposition of Atrazine Metabolites Following Uptake and Degradation of Atrazine in Switchgrass

Disposition of Atrazine Metabolites Following Uptake and Degradation of Atrazine in Switchgrass

Fate of atrazine in switchgrass–soil column system

The capacity of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) to degrade atrazine in a phytoremediation setting

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