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Atrazine is one of the most frequently detected pesticides and poses a great risk to humans and the environment. In this study, the effects of two submerged macrophytes, Potamogeton crispus and Myriophyllum spicatum, on phytoremediation of atrazine were evaluated. The results showed that atrazine decayed faster in the pots where these two plants were cultivated than that of the control without the plants during the 60-day course of the experiment. Metabolite analyses of atrazine indicated that atrazine was mainly converted to diaminochlorotriazine and hydroxyatrazine. Dissipation kinetics and risk assessment of atrazine showed that atrazine was degraded rather fast in maize and generally safe for human consumption at the recommended high dosage of atrazine. The maximum permissible intake (MPI) for atrazine was calculated to be 0.23 μg/person/day for a child and 0.72 μg/person/day for an adult. However, due to the large-scale application of atrazine over the years, the atrazine residue still poses a great threat to the environment. By using submerged macrophytes M. spicatum and P. crispus, atrazine could be absorbed from the sediment, hence remediating contaminated sediment and water. This study established a protocol for evaluating submerged plants in absorption or phytoremediation of pesticides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a group of organic environmental pollutants posing a potential risk to human health. This study was constructed to investigate the presence of 16 PAHs in six commonly consumed vegetables collected from the markets in Shandong, China by a quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, safe (QuEChERS)-based extraction method coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Our results showed that the vegetables were polluted with PAHs at an alarming level, of which celery contained the highest total concentration of PAHs (Σ16 PAH), whereas cucumbers contained the lowest Σ16 PAH. Besides, the dietary exposure of PAHs was assessed in these vegetables based on the maximum Σ16 PAH. The results showed that the populations in Shandong were exposed to 23-213 ng/d of PAHs through these six vegetables, suggesting that vegetables are the major sources of PAHs in the diet. Hence, it is necessary to monitor the PAH levels in vegetables. Our study provides guidance for future legislative actions regarding PAH levels in vegetables in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]