Effects of Atrazine Stress on the Growth of Pennisetum hydridum

[Objective] This study was to investigate the effect of atrazine stress on the growth of Pennisetum hydridum. [Method] Pot experiments were conducted to study the effects of atrazine stress （20, 50, 100, 200, 500 mg/kg） on plant height, biomass, root-shoot ratio and chlorophyll content of P. hydridum. [Results] Low level of atrazine stress （20 and 50 mg/kg） showed no significant effects on plant height and biomass of P. hydridum. Moderate level of atrazine stress （100 and 200 mg/kg） did not show significant effect on plant height, but did on the biomass of P. hydridum. Biomass of P. hydridum stressed by 100 and 200 mg/kg of atrazine was decreased by 34.1% and 36.4% compared with control, respectively. High level of atrazine stress （500 mg/kg） brought significant decrease in plant height（by 40.6%） and biomass（20.0%） of P. hydridum. All levels of atrazine stress showed no significant effects on root-shoot ratio and chlorophyll content of P. hydridum. [Conclusion] Pennisetum hydridum has strong tolerance to atrazine stress.

Microbial Community Characteristics in the Rhizosphere of Atrazine-contaminated Soil by Dendroremediation of Poplar

The change of microbial community characteristics in the different rhizo- sphere zones of hybrid poplar （Populusdeltoidsxnigra, DN34） under atrazine stress were investigated by rhizo-boxes and Biolog system in a greenhouse experiment, with sublimed sulfur and calcium hydroxide as soil pH regulators. Data from the measurement by the Biolog ECO plate demonstrated that the value of average well color development （AWCD） and the carbon source utilization of soil microorganisms in the treatments with pH regulators were promoter than CK during the initial 30 days; while the results from the 90 days indicated that the activity and the carbon source utilization of soil microbes in acid regulator treatment began to fall down, even lower than that of poplar implant treatment, then the alkaline treatment could still stimulate and promote the activity and the carbon source utilization ability of soil microbes. Overall, the activity and community structure of soil microbes in rhizo- sphere zones of atrazine-contaminated soil did not show steady regularity during the phytoremediation process by using hybrid poplars. For the reason that the Biolog E- CO plate, which only had 31 kinds of carbon sources, could not really indicate the detail information about the function diversity of community structure of soil mi- crobes. So it＇s essential for us to take more sophisticated analysis tools for further study.

Atrazine Adsorption Behavior on a Fluvo-Aquic Soil as Influenced by Contact Periods

A batch experiment was performed to investigate nonequilibrium adsorption behavior of atrazine （2-chloro-4-ethylamino-6-isopropylamlno-1,3,5-triazlne） on a fluvo-aquic soil. The amount of atrazine sorbed increased with increasing adsorption contact periods. For a range of initial atrazlne concentrations, the percentage of atrazine sorbed within 24 h ranged from 24% to 77% of the observed total amount sorbed for the longest contact period; when adsorption contact periods were more than 72 h, the deviations in curves fitted using a nonlinear Freundllch equation gradually became less. The opposite trend was observed for the atrazine concentrations in solution. The effect of adsorption contact periods on atrazine adsorption behavior was evaluated by interpreting the temporal variations in linear and nonlinear Freundlich equation parameters obtained from the phase-distribution relationships. As the adsorption contact period increased, the nonlinear Freundlich capacity coefficient kf showed a significant linear increase （r^2 = 0.9063, P 〈 0.001）. However, a significant negative linear correlation was observed for the nonlinear coefficient n, a dimensionless parameter （r^2 = 0.5666, P 〈 0.05）. Furthermore, the linear distribution coefficient kd ranged from 0.38 to 1.44 and exhibited a significant linear correlation to the adsorption contact period （r^2 = 0.72, P 〈 0.01）. The parameters kf and n obtained from a time-dependent isotherm rather than the distribution coefficient kd estimated using the linear Freundlich equation were more appropriate to predict the herbicide residue in the field and thus more meaningful for environmental assessment.

Synthesis of Atrazine-HPCD Inclusion and Its Bioactivity

The inclusion of atrazine with 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin(HPCD) was synthesized by ultrasonic method, and it was characterized by UV, XRD and 1H NMR. The solubility in water and the bioactivity of the inclusion were also studied here. The results indicated that the UV maximum absorption wavelength of the inclusion remained at 223 nm, while its intensity decreased. The XRD peaks of atrazine disappeared, weakened and shifted in the inclusion, and the chemical shift of H-3 and H-5 of cyclodextrin inner cavity led to the upfield. The characterization data showed that the atrazine-HPCD inclusion had already formed. At the same time, the solubility of the atrazineHPCD inclusion in water became 20.08 times as that of atrazine. Moreover, the atrazine-HPCD inclusion had better herbicidal activity. When the concentration of the inclusion was 6.5 mg/mL, the inhibition ratios of the inclusion to taproot length, taproot fresh weight, sprout length and sprout fresh weight of barnyard grass were 66.96%, 57.22%, 70% and 57.53%, respectively, which were all higher than those of atrazine.

Pesticide Concentrations in Drinking Water from Farm Homes： Variation between Community Water Supply and Well-Water

Atrazine, one of the most commonly used herbicides in the United States, has been found to contaminate groundwater. Atrazine is an endocrine disrupter in animals, and could possibly have carcinogenic effects in humans. A study involving farm families in four Kentucky Counties has been designed to assess exposure to atrazine through drinking water by a quick, reliable, and effective assay that could be performed in non-specialized laboratories. Data were obtained on farming practices and pesticide applications; and drinking water samples were collected from each household. Water consumption for the participants showed that 72% of the households consumed municipal water, 24% had private wells, and 4% used spring water as their source of drinking water. The analytical method used was based on Enzyme Linked Immuno Sorbent Assay. The results were obtained using a magnetic-particle-based analysis with spectrophotometric reading and showed presence of atrazine in more than 90% of the samples. Results showed that community drinking water sources had significantly higher atrazine concentrations compared to non-community sources （p-value 〈 0.01）. The results of this study may be used to conduct further exposure assessments for drinking water protection from pesticide contamination.

Biotechnological Strategies for Phytoremediating Triazinic Herbicides in the Humid Pampa （Argentine）

In agricultural producer countries, the use of chlorinated herbicides （atrazine）, associated to intensive farming practices, overflows the ecosystems natural attenuation capacity. Thus, herbicide residues contaminate the soils and water sources, increasing the risk for human health and wildlife. Humid Pampa is the main agricultural region in one of the world＇s largest herbicide consumer countries; hence, technologies to remediate its residues are needed. In this context, phytoremediation is an effective, environmental friendly and publicly accepted option. Accordingly, the objective of designing biotechnological strategies for phytoremediating triazinic herbicide residues in an integrated approach to the ongoing Humid Pampa agricultural trend is raised. In this way, strategies according to the edaphic, topogeographic and fanning practices characteristics of this region where established. In those strategies, the adequate selection of plant species is essential. For that purpose, atrazine tolerance assays were performed in simple （semisolid agar medium） and complex （microcosms） experimental systems implanted with Lolium multiflorum, Lotus sp. and Quenopodium quinoa. L. multiflorum was selected and evaluated via atrazine dissipation assays with soil. Atrazine soil content was determined by solvent extraction and subsequent HPLC-UV analysis, observing statistically significant attenuation levels at 21 days. According to the observed results, a strategy for scaling up the application to field conditions is proposed.

Removal atrazine using two anion-exchange resins supported nanohydrous metal-oxide particle

Hydrous iron oxide and hydrous aluminum oxide were loaded successfully onto a polymeric adsorbent(D301) to modify adsorbing materials(HIOD301 and HAOD301). The adsorptive equilibrium of atrazine was investigated in an aquatic environment using HIOD301 and HAOD301 under different experimental conditions. The results indicated that both HIOD301 and HAOD301 showed good adsorption capacities for atrazine at p H 4. The Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm equations were used to study the interactions between the adsorbate and adsorbent.The adsorption kinetics of atrazine at different concentrations was well described in terms of a pseudosecond-order equation in regard to the correlation coefficients and adsorption capacity. The removal percentages of atrazine for HIOD301 and HAOD301 were still more than 95% in the presence of sodium chloride.

Sorption, Transport and Transformation of Atrazine in Soils,Minerals and Composts: A Review

Atrazine is a widely used herbicide for controlling weeds on both agricultural and nonagricultural land,which is equally detected in water supplies beyond safe concentrations.Although the presence of atrazine metabolites is an indication of herbicide degradation,some of them still exhibit toxicity,greater water solubility and weaker interaction with soil components than atrazine.Hence,studies with atrazine in the environment are of interest because of its potential to contaminate drinking water sources.Data on atrazine availability for transport,plant uptake,and microbial degradation and mineralization are therefore required to perform more comprehensive and realistic environmental risk assessments of its environmental fate.This review presents an account of the sorption-desorption phenomenon of atrazine on soil and other sorbents by revisiting the several mechanisms of atrazine-sorbent binding reported in the literature.The retention and transport of atrazine in soils;the influence of organic matter on atrazine sorption;the interactions of atrazine with humic substances,atrazine uptake by plants,atrazine bioccumulation and microbial degradation;atrazine transformation in composting environments;and finally atrazine removal by biosorption are discussed.