ANAEROBIC TREATMENT OF ATRAZINE BEARING WASTEWATER

Performance of mixed microbial anaerobic culture in treating synthetic wastewater with high Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and varying atrazine concentration was studied. Performance of hybrid reactors with wood charcoal as adsorbent, with a dose of 10 g/l and 40 g/l, along with the microbial mass was also studied. All the reactors were operated in sequential mode with Hydraulic Retention Time (HRT) of 5 days. In all the cases, COD removal after 5 days was found to be above 81%. Initial COD was above 1000 mg/l. From a hybrid reactor COD removal after 2 days was observed to be 90%. Atrazine reduction after 5 days by microbial mass alone was 43.8%, 40% and 33.2% with an initial concentration of 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 mg/l respectively. MLSS on all the cases were almost same. Increasing MLSS concentration by about 2 fold did not increase the atrazine removal efficiency significantly. Maximum atrazine removal was observed to be 64% from the hybrid reactor with 10 g/l of wood charcoal and 69.4% from the reactor with 40 g/l of wood charcoal. Atrazine removal from the hybrid reactors after 15 days were observed to be 35.7% and 38.7%, which showed that the higher dose of wood charcoal in hybrid reactor did not improve the atrazine removal efficiency significantly. Specific methanogenic activity test showed no inhibitory effect of atrazine on methane producing bacteria. The performance of anaerobic microorganisms in removing atrazine with no external carbon source and inorganic nitrogen source was studied in batch mode. With an initial concentration of 1.0 mg/l, reduction of atrazine by the anaerobic microorganisms in absence of external carbon source after 35 days was observed to be 61.8% where as in absence of external carbon and inorganic nitrogen source the reduction was only 44.2% after 150 days. Volatilization loss of atrazine was observed to be insignificant.     

Occurrence and ecotoxicological risk assessment of pesticides in sediments of the Rosetta branch, Nile River, Egypt

This study aimed to (1) monitor the occurrence and spatiotemporal variations of 100 pesticides in sediments collected monthly from July 2018 to June 2019 from sampling sites in El-Rahawy, Sabal, and Tala, along the Rosetta branch of the Nile River, Egypt, and (2) perform an ecological risk assessment for aquatic organisms upon exposure to the detected sediment pesticides based on the risk quotient (RQ) method. Out of the 100 pesticides monitored, 16 pesticides belonging to seven chemical families were detected, and 55% of the sediment samples were contaminated with one or more pesticide residues. The mean concentration (mg/kg dry weight (dw)) and detection frequency (%) of the four most frequently detected pesticides in the sediment samples were as follows: chlorpyrifos (0.18 mg/kg dw and 34%), p,p′-DDE (0.018 mg/kg dw and 30%), cypermethrin (0.03 mg/kg dw and 14%), and deltamethrin (0.026 mg/kg dw and 13%). The spatial distribution exhibited that El-Rahawy had the highest pesticide load (2.86 mg/kg dw) among the studied sites, whereas the temporal variations revealed that the highest total pesticide concentrations were detected in winter season (1.73 mg/kg dw). Meanwhile, 12 pesticides showed high RQs (>1), posing a potential ecological risk to aquatic species that live and feed on such sediments.     

Degradation of RPA 202248 [U-14C-phenyl]-α(-(cyclopropylcarbonyl)-2-(methylsulfonyl)-β-oxo-4-(trifluromethyl)benzenepropanenitrile), the Primary Degradation Product of Isoxaflutole,in an Outdoor Aquatic Microcosm System

Abstract

Isoxaflutole, the active ingredient in BALANCE® WDG and BALANCE® PRO corn herbicides and a co-formulant with the herbicide flufenacet in the product EPIC?, is readily degraded in soil and water to RPA 202248 α(-(cyclopropylcarbonyl)-2-(methylsulfonyl)-β-oxo-4-(trifluromethyl)benzenepropanenitrile). Because RPA 202248 is responsible at the molecular level for isoxaflutole's herbicidal activity it is important to understand the environmental behavior of the degradation product. Laboratory studies suggest that RPA 202248 is stable to hydrolysis and photolysis in aqueous systems and hence poses a possible environmental concern. As part of a program of work towards understanding the actual field situation, an outdoor microcosm study was carried out. Over the course of the 29-day study, residues remained predominantly in the aqueous phase. A slow but steady degradation of RPA 202248 was observed leading to the formation of RPA 203328 (2-methylsulfonyl-4-trifluoromethylbenzoic acid), which has no herbicidal activity. The half-life of RPA 202248 was calculated to be 103 days. These findings indicate that aqueous degradation should be considered as a potential route of dissipation when assessing the fate of RPA 202248 in large scale impounded water bodies, such as ponds, lakes, or reservoirs in the Mid-West Corn Belt.     

Persistence of fluazinam in soil under boreal conditions

Abstract

Fluazinam, a widely used pesticide in conventional potato cultivation, is effective against epidemics of the fungal disease late blight. To assess fluazinam persistence in soil, laboratory experiments were conducted with fluazinam added to soil as a pure chemical or contained in the commercial product Shirlan^®. In a follow-up experiment, the persistence was monitored under constant temperature and water content conditions during a maximum period of 1?year. In an annual climatic rotation experiment, fluazinam added to soil was exposed to the year-round temperature and water content conditions occurring in the boreal zone. A third experiment was undertaken to clarify the effect of soil organic matter (SOM) on the recovery of fluazinam. In the follow-up and annual climatic rotation experiments, more than half of the added fluazinam was recovered after 1?year of incubation. The estimated half-life of fluazinam ranged between 355 and 833?days. The degradation of fluazinam was enhanced by an abundance of SOM, a warm temperature, and wetness. Additionally, in over half of soil samples collected from fields where potato had been intensively cultivated for many years, varying concentrations of fluazinam were detected. Fluazinam can carry over to the next growing season in professional potato production.     

Dissipation of S-metolachlor and butachlor in agricultural soils and responses of bacterial communities: Insights from compound-specific isotope and biomolecular analyses

The soil dissipation of the widely used herbicides S-metolachlor(SM) and butachlor(BUT)was evaluated in laboratory microcosms at two environmentally relevant doses(15 and 150 μg/g) and for two agricultural soils(crop and paddy).Over 80% of SM and BUT were dissipated within 60 and 30 days,respectively,except in experiments with crop soil at 150 μg/g.Based on compound-specific isotope analysis(CSIA) and observed dissipation,biodegradation was the main process responsible for the observed decrease of SM and BUT in the paddy soil.For SM,biodegradation dominated over other dissipation processes,with changes of carbon isotope ratios(Δδ~(13)C) of up to 6.5‰ after 60 days,and concomitant production of ethane sulfonic acid(ESA) and oxanilic acid(OXA) transformation products.In crop soil experiments,biodegradation of SM occurred to a lesser extent than in paddy soil,and sorption was the main driver of apparent BUT dissipation.Sequencing of the 16 S rRNA gene showed that soil type and duration of herbicide exposure were the main determinants of bacterial community variation.In contrast,herbicide identity and spiking dose had no significant effect.In paddy soil experiments,a high(4:1,V/V) ESA to OXA ratio for SM was observed,and phylotypes assigned to anaerobic Clostridiales and sulfur reducers such as Desulfuromonadales and Syntrophobacterales were dominant for both herbicides.Crop soil microcosms,in contrast,were associated with a reverse,low(1:3,V/V)ratio of ESA to OXA for SM,and Alphaproteobacteria,Actinobacteria,and Bacillales dominated regardless of the herbicide.Our results emphasize the variability in the extent and modes of SM and BUT dissipation in agricultural soils,and in associated changes in bacterial communities.     

农药分配系数及其在环境研究中的应用

简述了农药分配系数的直接摇瓶测定法和其它间接估算方法，讨论了分配系数与农药其他理化性质和环境行为之间的关系。分配系数是估测农药水溶性，生物富集性及底泥沉积物吸附系数等参数的较好方法。     

PESTICIDE OCCURRENCE IN GROUNDWATER IN TULARE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and statistical methodswere used to identify the major factors affecting pesticideleaching in groundwater from agricultural fields in TulareCounty, California. Residues of bromacil, diuron, and simazineincreased in groundwater during the 1980s. Bromacil, diuron,and simazine contamination were positively correlated to cropdiversity and water demand. Diuron and simazine were positively correlated to groundwater depth and negatively correlatedto soil water-holding capacity. DBCP concentration in groundwater was related to the crop coverage. The Goss model wasused to examine soil-pesticide interactions and a PesticideContamination Index (PCI) was developed. Areas having highleaching potentials were mainly associated with citrus andorchards and coarse-textured sandy soils along the SierraNevada foothills, while areas having low leaching potentialswere associated with field crops and clay soils of the southwest region. The PCI was largest for DBCP during the 1980s,suggesting that it was the most significant contaminant before1977 when it was widely used; however, wells were not testedfor this pesticide during that period. Twelve years after DBCPwas banned, it was still the most significant health riskcontaminant. Spatial maps showing the distribution of leachingpotentials and soil interactions for these pesticides canprovide useful information to regulatory and planning agenciesfor land use planning and pesticide management.     

厌氧折流板反应器处理有机农药废水的实验研究

介绍了采用厌氧折流板反应器(ABR)处理农药废水的实验研究情况.当进水COD负荷在2.0～4.5 kg/(m3·d),ABR反应器对COD去除率可保持在70%～80%.反应器的处理效果随温度下降而降低,当系统温度由35 ℃下降至25 ℃时,反应器的COD去除率下降30%.采用适量出水回流可提高系统的去除效率,回流比控制为50%比不回流COD平均去除率可提高近25%,回流比过高将导致系统COD去除率下降.     

适合大棚蔬菜的农药评价筛选

通过对农药使用的危险性评价方法，共筛选出７７种适合于大棚生产的化学农药和生物农药，其中杀虫剂３５种，杀菌剂２５种，除草剂１７种。为使大棚蔬菜的农药残留量低于国家食品卫生标准，应优先使用高效农药，最理想级的农药用量为〈４９．５ｇ／ｈｍ＾２，理想级为〈１６３．５ｇ／ｈｍ＾２，被评为危险级和较危险级的２３种农药，不应在大棚蔬菜生产和绿色食品生产中使用。     

单甲脒水中溶解度及正辛醇／水分配系数的测定

有毒有机化合物在水中的溶解度(WS)及正辛醇/水分配系数(K_(ow)),是描述其在环境中行为的两个重要物理化学参数。本文用溶解度平衡曲线法和振荡法,测得单甲脒在水中的溶解度为21.8±1.3mg/1(25℃),其在正辛醇/水中的分配系数lgK_(ow)为2.92±0.06。