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Phytonanotechnology for Sustainable Agriculture
Published in Cherry Bhargava, Amit Sachdeva, Nanotechnology, 2020
Reshmi S Nair, Shriya Iyer, J. Athira, Asha Anish Madhavan
Atrazine is a chemical used to control the growth of unwanted plants and weeds in sugarcane farms. Atrazine binds to a specific site during the photosynthesis process, and in doing so, hinders photosynthesis from proceeding. Such obstruction of the photosynthetic route can cause an increase in the quantity of reactive oxygen species (ROS) to be released. This increase in the ROS release causes a development in oxidative stress by exerting pressure on the antioxidant and photoprotective mechanisms. This leads to the mutation to cells of protein. Atrazine also causes leaf chlorosis, and hinders cell growth that results in the demise of the leaf or plant. Excessive use of atrazine can cause land or water pollution as a result of its degradation under environmental factors. Atrazine has adverse effects on the metabolism and growth of flora and fauna as well as marine life. Human beings are also affected by the use of atrazine. Exposure to atrazine can lead to damage in the reproductive system and even cause tumor growth.
Factors Controlling the Behavior and Fate of Pesticides in Surface Waters
Published in Steven J. Larson, Paul D. Capel, Michael S. Majewski, Pesticides in Surface Waters, 2019
Steven J. Larson, Paul D. Capel, Michael S. Majewski
For most surface waters downstream from agricultural areas, runoff from agricultural fields is the major source of their pesticide load. As an example, Figure 3.46 shows the time and concentration profile of the herbicide atrazine in the Minnesota River, which drains a large area of intensive row-crop agriculture (over 80 percent of the land is cultivated) (Schottler and others, 1994). The peaks in atrazine concentration for 1990 and 1991 occur soon after its application. The riverine concentrations of atrazine then decline until a relatively constant concentration is achieved during the low-flow period. The elevated concentrations in late spring and early summer are attributed to inputs of atrazine from rain-induced runoff from agricultural fields. The relatively constant low-level concentrations (about 0.5 to 1 percent of maximum concentrations) observed during the low-flow period are thought to be due primarily to inputs from ground water, although discharge from reservoirs, surface runoff from fields, and discharge from tile drains also may add low levels of pesticides to streams during this period. The other source of atrazine to this site is atmospheric deposition, but the estimated mass delivered by this route directly to the river is relatively unimportant compared to runoff processes in this intensively farmed basin (Capel, 1991).
Organic Pollutants
Published in Paul Mac Berthouex, Linfield C. Brown, Chemical Processes for Pollution Prevention and Control, 2017
Paul Mac Berthouex, Linfield C. Brown
Atrazine was banned in the European Union in 2004 because of persistent groundwater contamination. It is one of the most widely used herbicides in U.S. and Australian agriculture. As of 2001, atrazine was the most commonly identified pesticide in drinking water in the United States. Studies suggest it is an endocrine disruptor, an agent that may alter the natural hormonal system in animals. In 2006, the EPA stated that “the risks associated with the pesticide residues pose a reasonable certainty of no harm,” and in 2007 the EPA said that atrazine does not adversely affect amphibian sexual development and that no additional testing was warranted. The EPA opened a new review in 2009 that concluded that “the agency’s scientific bases for its regulation of atrazine are robust and ensure prevention of exposure levels that could lead to reproductive effects in humans.” However, the EPA review has been criticized, and the safety of atrazine remains controversial (Wikipedia, 2014).
Digital mapping of pesticides bioconcentration by integrating remote sensing techniques and plant uptake model
Published in International Journal of Digital Earth, 2023
Chenyang Xu, Shuangqiao Liao, Minghao Lin, Qian Yue, Jizhe Xia
We choose atrazine as the typical pesticide to evaluate the proposed method’s applicability and simulate the spatiotemporal patterns of the atrazine BCF over the mainland of the U.S.A. As atrazine is one of the most widely used pesticides in the U.S.A., especially for corn and sorghum fields for weeds control, it was applied directly to the soil, mainly during pre-planting or pre-emergence periods over around three-fourths of the corn and sorghum fields (Singh et al. 2018; de Albuquerque et al. 2020). Atrazine may exist in the soil for quite a long time and is also a significant aquatic micropollutant (de Albuquerque et al. 2020). As a result, the transpiration process dominates its absorption from the soil. Atrazine may damage the human and animal endocrine systems and introduce cytotoxicity in living cells (Singh et al. 2018; Xu et al. 2019; Tulcan et al. 2021). Estimating the continuous spatiotemporal potential of plant atrazine uptake from the soil is further significant to risk assessment and environmental protection.
Mass transfer models for the adsorption of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and atrazine herbicides from agricultural wastewaters
Published in Chemical Engineering Communications, 2023
Natália M. Cocco, Paola S. Pauletto, Guilherme L. Dotto, Nina P. G. Salau
In the 1940s, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) was the first commercial herbicide to be introduced to the market to control broadleaf weeds. Over the decades, 2,4-D has remained one of the most used herbicides globally due to its low cost, selectivity, efficacy, and broad weed control spectrum, being applied directly in aquatic and conventional agricultural systems (Islam et al. 2018). The maximum values allowed for 2,4-D in surface and groundwater worldwide range from 0.1 to 100 μg/L (Zuanazzi et al. 2020). In parallel, atrazine is an herbicide, introduced in the late 1950s, widely used to control weeds in many crops. Because of its high potential for environmental contamination, the use of this herbicide has been controversial (de Albuquerque et al. 2020). This herbicide has a low absorbency, strong persistence, great leaching potential, and easiness to migration in soil. The maximum contaminant level for atrazine is set at 3 μg/L, while the recommended level of atrazine in drinking water in the European Union countries is 0.1 μg/L (Shirmardi et al. 2016).
Integrating water, sediments, and land use analysis for pollution assessment in a countryside urban-farming watershed landscape in southern Brazil
Published in International Journal of River Basin Management, 2022
Luciane Vieira, Leonardo Antunes Pessoa, Vinícius Estevan Carvalho Pereira, Karen Silvério Gois, Edivando Vitor do Couto
A standard practice in farming is the application of atrazine and 2.4-D to agricultural fields and crops to destroy weeds. These chemicals are particularly well-used due to their low cost (Trivedi et al., 2016). Atrazine is a selective herbicide that controls target weeds while having little or no effect on the crop, such as corn and sorghum. The crops can absorb and metabolize atrazine without experiencing its toxic effects. Once atrazine enters the water, it is readily adsorbed and fixed by sediment (Qu et al., 2019). The 2.4-D is used in rice, wheat, sorghum, sugar cane, and corn to control broad leaf weeds. These herbicides have been used since the 1940s, and their widespread application increased when the necessity of an alternative herbicide against glyphosate-resistant weeds appeared. Sediments with different characteristics may obviously influence the sorption and bioavailability of organic pollutants (Qu et al., 2016). Atrazine and 2.4-D have been detected in contaminated soil, surface water, and groundwater and are even detectable in food and drinking water due to their high persistence and mobility in the environment (Qurratu & Reehan, 2016; Vonberg et al., 2014; Zhao et al., 2019).