Sediment Facilitates Microbial Degradation of the Herbicides Endothall Monoamine Salt and Endothall Dipotassium Salt in an Aquatic Environment

Abstract

Endothall dipotassium salt and monoamine salt are herbicide formulations used for controlling submerged aquatic macrophytes and algae in aquatic ecosystems. Microbial activity is the primary degradation pathway for endothall. To better understand what influences endothall degradation, we conducted a mesocosm experiment to (1) evaluate the effects of different water and sediment sources on degradation, and (2) determine if degradation was faster in the presence of a microbial community previously exposed to endothall. Endothall residues were determined with LC-MS at intervals to 21 days after endothall application. Two endothall isomers were detected. Isomer-1 was abundant in both endothall formulations, while isomer-2 was only abundant in the monoamine endothall formulation and was more persistent. Degradation did not occur in the absence of sediment. In the presence of sediment, degradation of isomer-1 began after a lag phase of 5–11 days and was almost complete by 14 days. Onset of degradation occurred 2–4 days sooner when the microbial population was previously exposed to endothall. We provide direct evidence that the presence and characteristics of sediment are of key importance in the degradation of endothall in an aquatic environment, and that monoamine endothall has two separate isomers that have different degradation characteristics.

Residues and Dissipation of the Herbicide Imazapyr after Operational Use in Irrigation Water

“…Several excellent studies have been undertaken to understand the fate of herbicides in aquatic environments generally, and irrigation canals particularly, in Australia. These include glyphosate [22,23], dalapon and trichloroacetic acid [24], diuron [25], acrolein [26], dichlobenil [27], and endothall [28]. Many of these studies have been undertaken in canals, while studies available for imazapyr derive from a field-based study in rice paddies in Brazil [17] and several studies in laboratory conditions [29][30][31][32].…”