Introduction: Paraquat (1,1’-dimethyl-4,4’-bipyridine-dichloride) is a herbicide used to combat weeds and improve crop productivity. Its acute toxicity can cause fatal poisoning in humans and animals and several stu...Introduction: Paraquat (1,1’-dimethyl-4,4’-bipyridine-dichloride) is a herbicide used to combat weeds and improve crop productivity. Its acute toxicity can cause fatal poisoning in humans and animals and several studies have shown a strong correlation between paraquat and Parkinson’s disease. Objective: To determine the concentration of paraquat in different types of rice in Brazil. Method: Paraquat quantification is based on a complexation reaction with sodium dithionite, which generates a blueish color compound, whose absorbance was read in a spectrophotometer at the 600 nm wavelength. Results: Five samples were found to be above the maximum allowed limit, while one sample had a concentration in the upper allowed limit. The method employed did not allow quantification of black rice. Conclusion: There is a need for identification of the type of pesticide used in each examined crop as well as their respective dates of remission in order to improve the safety of agricultural practices.展开更多
Here, we compared the intrinsic characteristics of 3-day-(newly germinated;<span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">“young”) and 8-week-old (“mature”) fronds of the aquatic plant </span>...Here, we compared the intrinsic characteristics of 3-day-(newly germinated;<span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">“young”) and 8-week-old (“mature”) fronds of the aquatic plant </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Spirodela</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> <i>polyrhiza</i></span> </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">and their sensitivity to paraquat, a toxic herbicide. Endpoints measured were frond area and fresh weight, root length, chlorophyll</span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> a</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> and</span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> b </span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">contents, and chlorophyll</span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> a</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> fluorescence. Significant differences were detected in the intrinsic physiological traits between young and mature fronds. Young fronds showed higher root length, chlorophyll contents, maximum quantum yield (</span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">F</span><sub><span style="font-family:Verdana;">v</span></sub></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">/</span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">F</span><sub><span style="font-family:Verdana;">m</span></sub></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">), maximal relative electron transport rate (rETR</span><sub><span style="font-family:Verdana;">max</span></sub><span style="font-family:Verdana;">) and saturating photon flux density (PFD), whereas mature fronds exhibited greater frond area and fresh weight. After a 72 h exposure to paraquat, root length and rETR</span><sub><span style="font-family:Verdana;">max</span></sub><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> were identified as the most sensitive endpoints of paraquat toxicity for both frond types, with EC</span><sub><span style="font-family:Verdana;">50</span></sub><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> values of 0.66 and 0.76 μg<span style="font-size:6.5pt;font-family:"background:yellow;">·</span>L</span><sup><span style="font-family:Verdana;">-1</span></sup><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> for young fronds, respectively, and 5.53 and 2.28 μg<span style="font-size:6.5pt;font-family:"background:yellow;">·</span>L</span><sup><span style="font-family:Verdana;">-1</span></sup><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> for mature fronds, respectively. Young fronds of </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">S.</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> <i>polyrhiza</i></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> showed significantly higher sensitivity to paraquat than mature fronds. A survey of other studies on paraquat toxicity to </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Lemna</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> species revealed that EC</span><sub><span style="font-family:Verdana;">50</span></sub><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> values of paraquat-induced inhibition of root regrowth and rETR</span><sub><span style="font-family:Verdana;">max</span></sub><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> in both stages were the lowest, indicating that these two endpoints were the most sensitive to paraquat. In addition, EC</span><sub><span style="font-family:Verdana;">50</span></sub><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> values of both endpoints of mature fronds of </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">S.</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> <i>polyrhiza </i></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">appear to be similar to the current allowable concentrations in drinking water set by the World Health Organization (WHO), indicating that these values may have application for the assessment of toxicity risk of paraquat in aquatic ecosystems.</span>展开更多
文摘Introduction: Paraquat (1,1’-dimethyl-4,4’-bipyridine-dichloride) is a herbicide used to combat weeds and improve crop productivity. Its acute toxicity can cause fatal poisoning in humans and animals and several studies have shown a strong correlation between paraquat and Parkinson’s disease. Objective: To determine the concentration of paraquat in different types of rice in Brazil. Method: Paraquat quantification is based on a complexation reaction with sodium dithionite, which generates a blueish color compound, whose absorbance was read in a spectrophotometer at the 600 nm wavelength. Results: Five samples were found to be above the maximum allowed limit, while one sample had a concentration in the upper allowed limit. The method employed did not allow quantification of black rice. Conclusion: There is a need for identification of the type of pesticide used in each examined crop as well as their respective dates of remission in order to improve the safety of agricultural practices.
文摘Here, we compared the intrinsic characteristics of 3-day-(newly germinated;<span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">“young”) and 8-week-old (“mature”) fronds of the aquatic plant </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Spirodela</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> <i>polyrhiza</i></span> </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">and their sensitivity to paraquat, a toxic herbicide. Endpoints measured were frond area and fresh weight, root length, chlorophyll</span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> a</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> and</span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> b </span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">contents, and chlorophyll</span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> a</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> fluorescence. Significant differences were detected in the intrinsic physiological traits between young and mature fronds. Young fronds showed higher root length, chlorophyll contents, maximum quantum yield (</span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">F</span><sub><span style="font-family:Verdana;">v</span></sub></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">/</span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">F</span><sub><span style="font-family:Verdana;">m</span></sub></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">), maximal relative electron transport rate (rETR</span><sub><span style="font-family:Verdana;">max</span></sub><span style="font-family:Verdana;">) and saturating photon flux density (PFD), whereas mature fronds exhibited greater frond area and fresh weight. After a 72 h exposure to paraquat, root length and rETR</span><sub><span style="font-family:Verdana;">max</span></sub><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> were identified as the most sensitive endpoints of paraquat toxicity for both frond types, with EC</span><sub><span style="font-family:Verdana;">50</span></sub><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> values of 0.66 and 0.76 μg<span style="font-size:6.5pt;font-family:"background:yellow;">·</span>L</span><sup><span style="font-family:Verdana;">-1</span></sup><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> for young fronds, respectively, and 5.53 and 2.28 μg<span style="font-size:6.5pt;font-family:"background:yellow;">·</span>L</span><sup><span style="font-family:Verdana;">-1</span></sup><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> for mature fronds, respectively. Young fronds of </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">S.</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> <i>polyrhiza</i></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> showed significantly higher sensitivity to paraquat than mature fronds. A survey of other studies on paraquat toxicity to </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Lemna</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> species revealed that EC</span><sub><span style="font-family:Verdana;">50</span></sub><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> values of paraquat-induced inhibition of root regrowth and rETR</span><sub><span style="font-family:Verdana;">max</span></sub><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> in both stages were the lowest, indicating that these two endpoints were the most sensitive to paraquat. In addition, EC</span><sub><span style="font-family:Verdana;">50</span></sub><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> values of both endpoints of mature fronds of </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">S.</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> <i>polyrhiza </i></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">appear to be similar to the current allowable concentrations in drinking water set by the World Health Organization (WHO), indicating that these values may have application for the assessment of toxicity risk of paraquat in aquatic ecosystems.</span>