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Silkworm excrement (SE) and silkworm excrement-derived biochar (BC) were applied to atrazine-contaminated soil at the rates of 0% and 0.5% (w/w), respectively. The effect of organic amendments on sorption capacity, microbial biomass carbon, enzyme activity (dehydrogenase, urease and catalase) and bacterial composition in soil were evaluated. Atrazine significantly decreased the microbial activity and diversity in soil. Both SE and BC treatments increased the sorption of atrazine in soil. SE treatment significantly increased the microbial biomass carbon and enzyme activity in contaminated soil. Unlike the addition of silkworm excrement, BC treatment had no significant effect on dehydrogenase activity. Additionally, Illumina-MiSeq sequencing analyses showed that the two organic amendments increased the Shannon index of bacteria. SE treatment improved the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes. BC treatment improved the Proteobacteria in atrazine contaminated soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytotoxic effects of herbicides have been reported on non-target plant species. This study was performed to investigate the growth of Napier grass cv. Pak Chong 1 in herbicide atrazine-contaminated soil; the effect of 1-naphthalene acetic acid, 6-benzyladenine and thidiazuron to stimulate the growth of grass grown in atrazine-contaminated soil; and to determine the remaining atrazine in the soil. The experiment was performed in a factorial completely randomized design with 2 × 10 factors. The first factor was atrazine concentration and the second factor was the application of plant growth regulator. The growth of the plants and atrazine remaining in the soil was analyzed at the end of the experiment (after 26 days). The results showed that Napier grass cv. Pak Chong 1 was tolerant to 6.8 mg/kg atrazine contamination in soil. The shoot growth and root growth of grass grown in atrazine-contaminated soil did not significantly differ from that grown in non-contaminated soil. Thidiazuron and 6-benzyladenine at 0.1 mg/l tended to increase the shoot dry weight of the grass grown in both atrazine-contaminated and non-contaminated soil. Additionally, 10 mg/l of thidiazuron and 1-naphthalene acetic acid tended to decrease the shoot growth of grass grown in both contaminated and non-contaminated soil. Moreover, decreases in atrazine were detected in soil planted with Napier grass cv. Pak Chong 1 by about 67.65% within 26 days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atrazine (ATZ, C8H14ClN5) is a widely used synthetic herbicide that contaminates drinking water. It is a known endocrine disruptor that disrupts various molecular pathways involved in hormone signaling, and DNA damage, and can cause reproductive disorders, including decreased fertility, and abnormal development of reproductive organs, as revealed in animal model studies. However, the effect of ATZ on steroidogenesis in the male reproductive system, especially reduction of ketosteroids to hydroxysteroids, remains unclear. This study investigated the toxicity of ATZ on the male reproductive system in the Wistar rat model, with an emphasis on its adverse effect on aldo-ketoreductase family 1 member C2 (AKR1C2). Male Wistar rats were administered ATZ for 56 days (duration of one spermatogenic cycle) through oral route, at 20, 40 and 60 mg/kg body weight (bw) doses. The results indicate that ATZ exposure affects the body weight, impairs sperm production, and decrease FSH, LH, and testosterone levels. Additionally, the down-regulation of key steroidogenic enzymes by ATZ disrupted the synthesis of testosterone, leading to decreased levels of this essential male hormone. On the other hand, the expression of AKR1C2 (mRNA and protein) in the testis was upregulated. The findings suggest that AKR1C2 plays a role in androgen metabolism. Furthermore, its overexpression may lead to alteration in the expression of genes in the connected pathway, causing an increase in the breakdown or inactivation of androgens, which would result in lower androgen levels and, thereby, lead to hypoandrogenism, as the combined effects of down-regulation of steroidogenic genes and up-regulation of AKR1C2. These findings reveal direct implication of disrupted AKR1C2 in male reproductive health and highlight the need for further research on the impact of environmental toxins on human fertility, ultimately providing for better patient care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Atrazine migrates from ice to water during the freezing process. • The migration of herbicide atrazine is related to binding energy. • The migration ability of herbicide atrazine is related to free energy. • Temperature is the key to determine the magnitude of the free energy. Atrazine causes concern due to its resistant to biodegradation and could be accumulated in aquatic organisms, causing pollution in lakes. This study measured the concentration of atrazine in ice and the water under ice through a simulated icing experiment and calculated the distribution coefficient K to characterize its migration ability in the freezing process. Furthermore, density functional theory (DFT) calculations were employed to expatiate the migration law of atrazine during icing process. According to the results, it could release more energy into the environment when atrazine staying in water phase (-15.077 kcal/mol) than staying in ice phase (-14.388 kcal/mol), therefore it was beneficial for the migration of atrazine from ice to water. This explains that during the freezing process, the concentration of atrazine in the ice was lower than that in the water. Thermodynamic calculations indicated that when the temperature decreases from 268 to 248 K, the internal energy contribution of the compound of atrazine and ice molecule (water cluster) decreases at the same vibrational frequency, resulting in an increase in the free energy difference of the compound from -167.946 to -165.390 kcal/mol. This demonstrated the diminished migratory capacity of atrazine. This study revealed the environmental behavior of atrazine during lake freezing, which was beneficial for the management of atrazine and other pollutants during freezing and environmental protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The widespread occurrence of atrazine (ATZ) in water environments presents a considerable risk to human health and ecosystems. Herein, the performance of dielectric barrier discharge integrated with periodate (DBD/PI) for ATZ decomposition was evaluated. Results demonstrated that the DBD/PI system improved ATZ decomposition efficiency by 18.2–22.5% compared to the sole DBD system. After 10 min treatment, the decomposition efficiency attained 82.4% at a discharge power of 68 W, a PI dosage of 0.02 mM, and an initial ATZ concentration of 10 mg/L. As the PI dosage increased, the decomposition efficiency exhibited a trend of initially increasing, followed by a decrease. Acidic conditions were more favorable for ATZ removal compared to alkaline and neutral conditions. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) was adopted for characterizing the active species produced in the DBD/PI system, and quenching experiments revealed their influence on ATZ decomposition following a sequence of 1O2 > O2−• > IO3• > OH•. The decomposition pathways were proposed based on the theoretical calculations and intermediate identification. Additionally, the toxic effects of ATZ and its intermediates were assessed. This study demonstrates that the DBD/PI treatment represents an effective strategy for the decomposition of ATZ in aquatic environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we employed synthesized titanium oxide/zirconium oxide (TiO2/ZrO2) nanoparticles as activated catalysts to enhance the ozonation process during hydroxyl radical (OH°) generation using atrazine (ATZ) as a pollutant. The TiO2/ZrO2 nanoparticles were synthesized using the coprecipitation digestion method and were characterized using scanning and transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller theory, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The experiments were conducted under different initial pH conditions (3, 7, and 10), with an initial ATZ concentration of 4.64 × 10−6 M, initial TiO2/ZrO2 nanocatalyst concentrations of 100, 200, and 300 ppm, and initial ozone (O3) concentrations of 1.35 × 10−4, 1.55 × 10−4, and 2.27 × 10−4 M, respectively. The key operational parameters were optimized, and the optimal OH° results were obtained at pH 10, 200 ppm TiO2/ZrO2 concentration, 4.64 × 10−6 M ATZ concentration, and 1.55 × 10−4 M O3 concentration. The potential of TiO2/ZrO2 nanoparticles to enhance OH° generation during catalytic ozonation was demonstrated. The catalytic ozonation mechanism using TiO2/ZrO2 nanoparticles was governed by the optimal formation of OH° radicals at about 1 × 10−11 mol/L and an excellent nanocatalytic activity with an Rct value of 2.83 × 10−8. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atrazine, a herbicide used for controlling broadleaf weeds, has been one of the predominant pollutants constituting 80–90% of detection frequency in the samples collected from rivers, estuaries, oceans, sediments, agricultural lands, and crops. The fate of atrazine is highly unpredictable depending on the physio-chemical, physiological and geographical conditions. Range of metabolites such as deethylatrazine (DEA), deisopropyl atrazine (DIA), and didealkylatrzine (DDA) are formed as a result of biotic as well as abiotic degradation process in the environment following cyanuric acid, ammelide, CO2 and NH3 are formed as final products. Atrazine degraded products has shown more hazardous nature than the parent compound, atrazine. Atrazine is banned in Italy, India, Germany and European union but widely used in China, Australian, Canadian and US agriculture. To date, reviews evaluating the assimilation of synerigistic treatment technologies and comparative degration mechanism have not been highlighted. This work focuses on (1) the spatiotemporal distribution of atrazine and its metabolites globally and the factors governing it (2) provides an in-depth discussion about the various studies showing the toxicity of atrazine in microbes, cattle, human, terrestrial and aquatic organisms; (3) discusses the contaminants of emerging concern which are continuously replacing atrazine like terbuthylazine and their intermediate compounds posing more risk to wildlife and humans; (4) summarises the different treatment technologies which have been predominantly applied for the removal of atrazine in water and soil systems and also discusses the synergistic or mutualistic aspects of treatment methods in degrading atrazine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atrazine is a widely used toxic herbicide that poses a threat to both the environment and human health. This study investigates the removal of Atrazine from water through armchair-hexagonal hexagonal graphene quantum dots (AHEX) simulations. The investigations are performed using density functional theory at the exchange–correlation hybrid functional B3LYP/3-21G level of theory. The activity of pristine AHEX, with a total dipole moment of 0.0 (debye), is enhanced by doping with boron (B), nitrogen (N), and sulfur atoms (S), resulting in increased total dipole moments of 8.99, 5.29, and 4.14 Debye respectively. This enhancement occurs without any structural deformation due to the doping process. Our results show significant adsorption capacity of the doped nanographene for Atrazine, evidenced by the high adsorption energies of 0.52 eV for boron, 0.62 eV for nitrogen, and 2.97 eV for sulfur. Charge distribution on the atrazine complexes further confirms effective interaction, with values of 0.03, − 0.018, and 0.032 (e). UV–vis spectroscopy reveals that the prominent absorption peaks of boron and nitrogen-doped samples, initially at ~ 658.8 and 431 nm, undergo a redshift to ~ 676 and 444.3 nm after adsorption, respectively. This redshift aligns with the dominant excitation moving to lower energies following adsorption. Conversely, the sulfurated nanographene shows a blue shift from 980.66 to 485.41 nm. These findings highlight the potential of doped nanographene as an effective treatment for atrazine-contaminated water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Triazine pesticide (atrazine and its derivatives) detection sensors have been developed to thoroughly check for the presence of these chemicals and ultimately prevent their exposure to humans. Sensitive coatings were designed by utilizing molecular imprinting technology, which aims to create artificial receptors for the detection of chlorotriazine pesticides with gravimetric transducers. Initially, imprinted polymers were developed, using acrylate and methacrylate monomers containing hydrophilic and hydrophobic side chains, specifically for atrazine, which shares a basic heterocyclic triazine structure with its structural analogs. By adjusting the ratio of the acid to the cross-linker and introducing acrylate ester as a copolymer, optimal non-covalent interactions were achieved with the hydrophobic core of triazine molecules and their amino groups. A maximum sensor response of 546 Hz (frequency shift/layer height equal to 87.36) was observed for a sensitive coating composed of 46% methacrylic acid and 54% ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, with a demonstrated layer height of 250 nm (6.25 kHz). The molecularly imprinted copolymer demonstrated fully reversible sensor responses, not only for atrazine but also for its metabolites, like des-ethyl atrazine, and structural analogs, such as propazine and terbuthylazine. The efficiency of modified molecularly imprinted polymers for targeted analytes was tested by combining them with a universally applicable quartz crystal microbalance transducer. The stable selectivity pattern of the developed sensor provides an excellent basis for a pattern recognition procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high water consumption in agriculture has led to an obvious water crisis in this sector, and the use of unconventional water sources, especially agricultural drains, is considered necessary. For this purpose, the present study was carried out to evaluate the efficiency of biological filters with different types of substrates for treating agricultural wastewater in Khuzestan province, located in the south of Iran, to use receptive resources and reuse them in agriculture. Next, the efficiency of four types of biological filters for treating agricultural drainage water with different retention times was evaluated. Sawdust, cotton stalks, wheat straw, stubble, and rice husk were used as filters. Qualitative factors included agricultural pesticides (Atrazine, Randup, Paraquat, and 2, 4-D) and nutrients (nitrate, nitrogen, phosphate, and phosphorus). By examining the trend of increasing the retention time and the corresponding removal percentage, it was observed that the retention time has a direct relationship with the amount of removal efficiency of nutrients and agricultural toxins. As the residence time increases, the average amount of nutrient compounds in different filters decreases, and their removal percentage increases. The highest removal percentage of nitrate, total nitrogen, phosphate, and total phosphorus was 74.03, 71.66, 57.97, and 61.85% in the sawdust filter and was assigned to 10 days. The highest percentage of removal of Atrazine, Tofudi, Paraquat, and Roundup toxins with a removal efficiency of 91.73, 84.27, 89.81, and 88.46% was also observed in the treatment of sawdust for 10 days. The sawdust filter showed a good performance in removing the parameters of agricultural toxins and nutrient compounds in a retention time of 10 days compared to other filters and retention times. As a general result, the sawdust filter can be cited as a reliable substrate with acceptable efficiency compared to other filters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-cost and green preparation of efficient sorbents is critical to the removal of organic contaminants during water treatment. In this study, the co-pyrolysis of macroalgae and oyster shell was designed to synthesize nitrogen-doped porous biochars for sorption removal of atrazine from water. Oyster shell played a significant role in opening pores in macroalgae-derived biochars, resulting in the surface area of the macroalgae (Enteromorpha prolifera and Ulva lactuca) and oyster shell co-pyrolyzed carbonaceous as high as 1501.80 m2 g−1 and 1067.18 m2 g−1, the pore volume reached 1.04 cm3 g−1 and 0.93 cm3 g−1, and O/C decreased to 0.09 and 0.08, respectively. The sorption capacity of atrazine to nitrogen-doped porous biochars (the Enteromorpha prolifera, Ulva lactuca and oyster shell co-pyrolyzed carbonaceous) reached 312.06 mg g−1 and 340.52 mg g−1. Pore-filling, hydrogen bonding, π-π or p-π stacking and electrostatic interaction dominated the multilayer sorption process. Moreover, the nitrogen-doped porous biochars showed great performance in cyclic reusability, and the Enteromorpha prolifera, Ulva lactuca and oyster shell co-pyrolyzed carbonaceous sorption capacity still reached 246.13 mg g−1 and 255.97 mg g−1, respectively. Thus, this study suggested that it is feasible and efficient to remove organic contaminants with the nitrogen-doped porous biochars co-pyrolyzed from macroalgae and oyster shell, providing a potential green resource utilization of aquatic wastes for environmental remediation. Highlights: Nitrogen-doped porous biochars (NPBs) were derived from natural wastes. Oyster shell enhanced the micropore and mesopore structures of NPBs. Physical sorption dominated atrazine sorption onto the NPBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ozone-based advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have emerged a promising avenue for water treatment, offering effective removal of micropollutants. Recent research underscores the potential of ozone microbubbles to enhance ozone mass transfer during water treatment, particularly when combined with pre-treatment steps. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of three different combined processes (chlorine/KMnO4/PAC pre-treatment followed by ozonation) in removing atrazine, a common micropollutant from natural source water. Results revealed that all combined processes achieved higher atrazine removal rates compared to individual pre-treatment or ozonation methods. Notably, the highest atrazine removal rates were observed under alkaline pH conditions, with treatment outcomes influenced by oxidant dose and pH levels. Among the combined processes, chlorine pre-treatment followed by ozonation emerged as the most effective approach, achieving a removal rate of 59.7% that exceeded the sum of individual treatments. However, this treatment efficacy was affected by water quality parameters, particularly the presence of organic matter and elevated ammonia nitrogen concentration (> 0.5 mg/L). This study highlights the potential for utilizing ozone micro/nanobubbles to enhance ozone mass transfer and offers valuable insights for optimizing the combined application of pre-treatment and ozonation strategies for efficient atrazine removal from natural water sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical desiccation is widely used in agriculture to anticipate harvest and mitigate the effects of adverse environmental conditions. It is applied to both grains and seeds. Although this practice is widely used, there are still significant gaps in understanding the effects of different herbicide application times on seed quality and plant physiological responses. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of different herbicide application times on cowpea, focusing on seed quality, physiological responses, and biochemical composition, including chlorophylls, carotenoids, sugars, and proline, under nocturnal desiccation. In the first experiment, eight herbicides and two mixtures were applied at night: diquat, flumioxazin, diquat + flumioxazin, glufosinate ammonium, saflufenacil, carfentrazone, diquat + carfentrazone, atrazine, and glyphosate. All of the tested herbicides caused a reduction in normal seedling formation, with the diquat + carfentrazone combination resulting in 100% abnormal seedlings. A significant decrease in chlorophyll levels (chlorophyll a: 63.5%, chlorophyll b: 50.2%) was observed using diquat, which indicates damage to photosynthetic processes, while the carotenoid content increased. Total soluble sugars and proline were also negatively impacted, reflecting physiological stress and metabolic changes in seedlings. In the second experiment, three application times were tested with diquat, diquat + flumioxazin, and diquat + carfentrazone. Nocturnal application showed the most significant reduction in chlorophyll levels and increased carotenoid levels. Application at noon and late afternoon also significantly changed the soluble sugar and proline levels. These results indicate that the herbicide application time directly influences the seeds' physiological quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microalgae are unicellular, photosynthetic organisms in aquatic environments and are sensitive to water quality and contaminants. While green algae and diatoms are widely used for toxicity assessments, there is a relatively limited amount of toxicity data available for freshwater dinoflagellates. Here, we evaluated the sub‐lethal effects of the metals Cu, Cr, Ni, and Zn and the herbicides atrazine and S‐metolachlor on the freshwater dinoflagellate Palatinus apiculatus. Based on the 72‐h median effective concentration (EC50), P. apiculatus showed sensitive responses to metals in the order of Cu (0.052 mg L−1), Cr (0.085 mg L−1), Zn (0.098 mg L−1), and Ni (0.13 mg L−1). Among the tested herbicides, P. apiculatus was more sensitive to atrazine (0.0048 mg L−1) than S‐metolachlor (0.062 mg L−1). In addition, we observed morphological alterations and significant increases in reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in cells exposed to 0.05 mg L−1 of Cu and 0.005 mg L−1 of atrazine. These indicated that metals and pesticides induced oxidative stress in cellular metabolic processes and consequently caused severe physiological damage to the cells. Our results provide baseline data on the toxic effects of typical environmental contaminants on freshwater dinoflagellate, suggesting that P. apiculatus could be used as a bioindicator in freshwater toxicity assessments. Practitioner Points: The sub‐lethal effects of metals and pesticides on the freshwater dinoflagellate Palatinus apiculatus were evaluated.Palatinus sensitively responded to metals and pesticides; of test chemicals, atrazine (0.0048 mg L−1 of EC50) was the most sensitive.Metals and pesticides induced oxidative stress and consequently caused severe physiological damage to the Palatinus cells.The freshwater dinoflagellate Palatinus can be used as a bioindicator in freshwater toxicity assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seed‐based restoration is dependent on seed germination, and poor germination can cause restoration failure. Many restoration failures can be attributed to a lack of knowledge of germination characteristics, species‐specific seed dormancy, or the effects of widely used herbicides on germination. White penstemon (Penstemon albidus) and Waxleaf penstemon (P. nitidus) are native to the Northern Great Plains region of North America, and increased germination of these species would contribute to improved restoration in the region. We performed two concurrent experiments to determine: (1) the germination requirements and dormancy class of these species; and (2) the effects of herbicides on germination. To determine germination requirements, we applied pretreatments (scarification, smoke, and KNO3) and three durations (2, 4, and 8 weeks) of cold and warm stratification. To test the effects of herbicides on germination, three commonly used herbicides (atrazine, trifluralin, and 2,4‐D) were applied at six concentrations (100, 50, 10, 1, 0.1, and 0% of the recommended field application rate). Germination characteristics indicate both species express physiological dormancy. Physiological dormancy denotes an embryo with low growth potential that is unable to overcome mechanical constraints but can be alleviated with proper temperature cues. Both species required cold stratification, with P. nitidus needing a longer period (8 weeks) than P. albidus (4 weeks). Final germination percentage of P. albidus decreased with higher doses of 2,4‐D but was not affected by atrazine or trifluralin. These experiments help to create protocol for the use of our study species, as well as other species, in restoration plantings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge and implications of atrazine in waters from rural areas in Nigeria remain diminutive. Meanwhile, recent findings have shown presence of atrazine residue in water bodies. Atrazine level in six communities (Mamu, Oru, Ilaporu, Awa, Ijebu Igbo, and Ago-Iwoye) of Ijebu North local government, Ogun State, Nigeria using 69 hand-dug wells (HDWs), 40 boreholes (BHs) and four streams are monitored. Value of atrazine recorded was employed to appraise the implication on some hematological and biochemical parameters in relation to human health through dermal and ingestion contact using male albino rats. Highest atrazine of 0.08 mg/L was found in HDW of Ago-Iwoye out of 41 hand dug wells assessed, alongside 22 BH and four streams tested positive to atrazine, while the Oru documented lowest concentration with 0.01 mg/L. Ingestion and dermal hazard index (HI) were lower in adults than children and below acceptable limits in each community. Atrazine concentration at 0.01, 0.03, 0.04, and 0.08 mg/L in waters may not induce significant alteration in the hematological and some biochemical parameters of the exposed animal, while concentration at 0.04 and 0.08 mg/L might alter the blood glucose, albumin, and bilirubin. This is the first study to report atrazine in rural community waters in relation to human health in Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated how adding stable manure affected the transport of atrazine within agricultural soils from Kahramanmaraş, Turkey. Based on the batch and miscible-displacement experiments, it was found that atrazine sorption was nonlinear, following a Freundlich isotherm, and was rate-limited and reversible for both the non-amended and amended soil. The addition of manure resulted in higher retardation of atrazine, with R values of 10.1 to 19.1, compared to values of 3.2 to 4.3 for the non-amended soil. The KF values for stable-manure amended soil calculated from batch experiment was three times higher than non-amended soil. The transportation of atrazine shows non-ideal behavior, characterized by significant elution tailing at low concentrations due to the organic carbon content of the soil. This effect was more prominent in soil with a 10% stable-manure amendment. By incorporating non-linear sorption, a two-site transport modeling approach provides a reasonably accurate representation of the atrazine breakthrough curves. The distinct sorption-desorption characteristics of atrazine have significant implications for risk assessment of atrazine-contaminated soil and should be considered in the regulation, management, and remediation of such contaminated sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proliferation of weeds in agricultural fields competes directly with crops for essential resources such as, leading to reduced crop yields and economic profitability. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of weed management practices on dry bean productivity and economic profitability. Field experiments were conducted between 2018 and 2019 following a Randomized Complete Block Design with four replications and seven treatments. The treatments included: MW (Manual hoe weeding 21DAS), H1 (paraquat 3 l ha−1), H2 (acetochlor 3 l ha−1), H3 (atrazine 3 l ha−1), H1H2 (paraquat 1.5 l ha−1plus acetochlor 1.5 l ha−1), H1H3 (paraquat 1.5 l ha−1 plus atrazine 1.5 l ha−1) and H2H3 (atrazine 1.5 l ha−1 plus acetochlor 1.5 l ha−1). Dry seed yield obtained in 2018 were similar regardless of treatments. However, in 2019, among the herbicides, H1 induced the highest yield (1t ha−1), while the lowest (0.45 t ha−1) was recorded with H2. In addition, the decrease in yield under MW (0.86 t ha−1) was due to the high density of following species: Cynodon dactylon, Commelina benghalensis, Imperata cylindrica, Bidens pilosa, Euphorbia heterophylla and Euphorbia hirta. The economic analysis of treatments using the Ratio Cost Value (RVC > 1) classified them in descending order: MW > H1 > H2H3 > H3 > H1H3 > H2 > H1H2. However, when the cultivated area to be weeded is expanding and labor becomes scarce, the rains are regular and abundant, manual hoeing may become tedious. In this case, the application of 3 l ha−1 of paraquat becomes an alternative to manual hoeing for farmers wishing to increase dry bean seed production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to evaluate the ameliorative potential of Nigella sativa oil (N.s) against the adverse effects induced by atrazine (ATZ) in mice. Four groups were divided into: Control group (untreated); N.s group (N. sativa oil, 2 mL/kg/BW); ATZ group (atrazine 200 mg/kg/BW); ATZ+N.s group (atrazine 200 mL/kg/BW; and N. sativa oil, 2 mL/kg/BW). All doses were administered by gavage once daily for 4 weeks. The atrazine-administered group showed a significant increase in total leukocytes, granulocytes, and agranulocytes and a decrease in red blood cells, hemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume, and packed cell volume. Serum concentrations of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine transaminase, and alkaline phosphatase were high in the ATZ group. Atrazine exposure reduced serum albumin and total protein levels in the blood. A significantly higher concentration of bilirubin, urea, and creatinine was also found in the ATZ group. The simultaneous administration of atrazine and N. sativa led to improvements in all the parameters studied above. Thus, this study revealed that atrazine exposure has toxic effects on hematological parameters, liver, and kidney function, and that N. sativa oil reduces these toxic effects of atrazine in male mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Waterways that drain the Great Barrier Reef catchment area (GBRCA) transport pollutants to marine habitats, provide a critical corridor between freshwater and marine habitats for migratory fish species, and are of high socioecological value. Some of these waterways contain concentrations of pesticide active ingredients (PAIs) that exceed Australian ecotoxicity threshold values (ETVs) for ecosystem protection. In this article, we use a "pathway to harm" model with five key criteria to assess whether the available information supports the hypothesis that PAIs are or could have harmful effects on fish and arthropod populations. Strong evidence of the first three criteria and circumstantial weaker evidence of the fourth and fifth criteria are presented. Specifically, we demonstrate that exceedances of Australian and New Zealand ETVs for ecosystem protection are widespread in the GBRCA, that the PAI contaminated water occurs (spatially and temporally) in important habitats for fisheries, and that there are clear direct and indirect mechanisms by which PAIs could cause harmful effects. The evidence of individuals and populations of fish and arthropods being adversely affected species is more circumstantial but consistent with PAIs causing harmful effects in the freshwater ecosystems of Great Barrier Reef waterways. We advocate strengthening the links between PAI concentrations and fish health because of the cultural values placed on the freshwater ecosystems by relevant stakeholders and Traditional Owners, with the aim that stronger links between elevated PAI concentrations and changes in recreationally and culturally important fish species will inspire improvements in water quality. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2024;20:1256–1279. © 2023 Commonwealth of Australia and The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC). Key Points: A "pathway to harm" model is used to demonstrate that pesticide active ingredients could be harming fish and arthropod populations.Pesticides frequently occur in fish habitats at concentrations that exceed guideline values.There are known toxicological mechanisms for these pesticides to exert adverse outcomes, and some evidence that fish health in the Great Barrier Reef catchment area could be affected.We advocate strengthening the links between PAI concentrations and fish health because of the cultural value placed on the freshwater ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was aimed at monitoring the occurrence and potential sources of emerging contaminants in water sources within the Modder River catchment. Selected water quality indicators were analysed by Hanna multi-parameter meters. Emerging contaminants such as acetaminophen, carbamazepine, ibuprofen, atrazine, simazine, metolachlor, terbuthylazine, 17-alpha-ethinyl-estradiol, estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone were analysed by high performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. The sources of emerging contaminants were determined by statistical methods such as Pearson correlation and hierarchical cluster analysis. Results showed that all the sampled water sources have some level of questionable drinking water quality and necessitate some amount of treatment to reduce the contamination before consumption, especially DO, EC, and pH. The 17-alpha-ethinyl-estradiol mean values in rivers (7.79 and 31.55 µg/L), dams (1.83 and 6.90 µg/L), and treated drinking water (0.2 and 0.73 µg/L) were the highest in summer and autumn seasons, respectively. Wastewater effluents, domestic sewage, urban surface runoff, agricultural runoff, and illegal dumping were identified as the possible sources of emerging contaminants pollution. Waste management education, proper application of herbicides, and advance wastewater treatment methods were some of the suggested mitigation strategies. The outcomes may be relevant for environmental protection and water sustainability in the catchment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To protect and improve the soil environment of the Songnen Plain, detailed identification of organic pollutant contamination features in the soil and the degree of contamination is required. The primary goals of this research are to measure the levels of organic pollutants detected in the soil of the Songnen Plain, to correlate the levels of organic pollutants with different land use practices, and to assess the environmental quality of the soil using various pollution indicators. Material and methods: Contaminated soil was collected at three types of areas: residential (n = 26), agricultural (n = 22), and industrial (n = 12) in the Songnen Plain of Jilin Province, at 0–20 cm and 20–40 cm depths. The concentrations of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, benzene hexachloride, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, benzo (a) pyrene (BaP), trichloromethane, tetrachloromethane, hexachlorobenzene, and atrazine in the soil samples were determined using gas chromatography (GC), gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer-mass spectrometer (GC-MS-MS), and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Results and discussion: Soil BaP had the highest concentration with a mean value of 20.59 ng/kg, followed by atrazine, hexachlorobenzene, benzene hexachloride, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), trichloromethane, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, and tetrachloromethane with mean concentrations of 0.46, 0.44, 0.34, 0.28, 0.21, 0.14, 0.06, 0.03, and 0.02 ng/kg, respectively. Soil organic pollutants at all sampling sites did not exceed the secondary environmental quality standard values. The most serious soil contamination was found in landfill sites, followed by urban areas, industrial areas and farmland areas. Conclusions: Soil contamination is more severe in locations where human activity is more prevalent. The subsoil can better reflect the characteristics of soil pollution in the area compared to the upper layer of soil. Although contamination is low in the research region, the presence of these pollutants must be taken seriously in order to maintain the quality and safety of agricultural products and human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Atrazine is present in aquatic systems as a pesticide, and poses a serious threat to ecosystems and human health. The advanced oxidation technology based on persulfate is considered a promising approach for removing trace pesticides from water. The synthesis of a persulfate activator for the rapid and efficient degradation of atrazine was studied. RESULTS: A novel rod‐like sulfur‐doped Co3O4 (S‐Co3O4) was prepared via the hard template method and used as a persulfate activator to degrade atrazine. The removal efficiency of atrazine (10 mM) could be up to 100% in the presence of peroxymonosulfate (1 mM) activated by S‐Co3O4 (50 mg L−1) within 7 min. CONCLUSION: The nanorod structure of S‐Co3O4 is conducive to mass transfer and increases the probability of reaction between substances, and sulfur doping increases the interfacial charge transfer capability. The mechanism of atrazine degradation was mainly attributed to the combined effects of •OH and SO4•−, with the effect of SO4•− being more important. The main degradation pathways of atrazine are dichlorination, hydroxylation and dealkylation, corresponding to the cleavage of Cl1‐C9, N5‐C10 and N6‐C11, respectively. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper describes a novel and simple aptamer-based strategy for label-free determination of atrazine (ATZ) in solutions using a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified with chitosan (CS) and a nanocomposite film composed of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (f-MWCNs) and graphene oxides (GO). The chitosan and nanocomposite film provide the appropriate sites for the better attachment of aptamer owing to the presence of amino and carboxyl functional groups. In order to increase the specificity of the proposed sensor, the NH2-terminal aptamer was immobilized at the surface of f-MWCNTs-GO/CS nanocomposite through the formation of chemical bonds between the amino groups of the aptamer and functional groups of the nanocomposite by using the gluteraldehyde (GLA) as a cross-linker. Various electrochemical techniques such as cyclic voltammetry (CV), differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were utilized to characterize the changes of the surface of the modified electrode in each step. In the presence of atrazine, the aptamer molecules selectively combine with the target molecules at the electrode surface which results in a decrease in the current intensity of DPV and CV electrochemical signals. Under the optimized experimental conditions, the presented aptasensor revealed a wide linear range of 1 to 250 nM with a low detection limit of 0.06 nM. In addition, the practical application of the fabricated aptasensor for the measurement of the low concentration of atrazine was tested in real samples, and the satisfactory results were obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Atrazine is a widely used toxic herbicide that poses a threat to both the environment and human health. This study investigates the removal of Atrazine from water through armchair-hexagonal hexagonal graphene quantum dots (AHEX) simulations. The investigations are performed using density functional theory at the exchange–correlation hybrid functional B3LYP/3-21G level of theory. The activity of pristine AHEX, with a total dipole moment of 0.0 (debye), is enhanced by doping with boron (B), nitrogen (N), and sulfur atoms (S), resulting in increased total dipole moments of 8.99, 5.29, and 4.14 Debye respectively. This enhancement occurs without any structural deformation due to the doping process. Our results show significant adsorption capacity of the doped nanographene for Atrazine, evidenced by the high adsorption energies of 0.52 eV for boron, 0.62 eV for nitrogen, and 2.97 eV for sulfur. Charge distribution on the atrazine complexes further confirms effective interaction, with values of 0.03, − 0.018, and 0.032 (e). UV–vis spectroscopy reveals that the prominent absorption peaks of boron and nitrogen-doped samples, initially at ~ 658.8 and 431 nm, undergo a redshift to ~ 676 and 444.3 nm after adsorption, respectively. This redshift aligns with the dominant excitation moving to lower energies following adsorption. Conversely, the sulfurated nanographene shows a blue shift from 980.66 to 485.41 nm. These findings highlight the potential of doped nanographene as an effective treatment for atrazine-contaminated water.

Abstract Low-cost and green preparation of efficient sorbents is critical to the removal of organic contaminants during water treatment. In this study, the co-pyrolysis of macroalgae and oyster shell was designed to synthesize nitrogen-doped porous biochars for sorption removal of atrazine from water. Oyster shell played a significant role in opening pores in macroalgae-derived biochars, resulting in the surface area of the macroalgae (Enteromorpha prolifera and Ulva lactuca) and oyster shell co-pyrolyzed carbonaceous as high as 1501.80 m2 g−1 and 1067.18 m2 g−1, the pore volume reached 1.04 cm3 g−1 and 0.93 cm3 g−1, and O/C decreased to 0.09 and 0.08, respectively. The sorption capacity of atrazine to nitrogen-doped porous biochars (the Enteromorpha prolifera, Ulva lactuca and oyster shell co-pyrolyzed carbonaceous) reached 312.06 mg g−1 and 340.52 mg g−1. Pore-filling, hydrogen bonding, π-π or p-π stacking and electrostatic interaction dominated the multilayer sorption process. Moreover, the nitrogen-doped porous biochars showed great performance in cyclic reusability, and the Enteromorpha prolifera, Ulva lactuca and oyster shell co-pyrolyzed carbonaceous sorption capacity still reached 246.13 mg g−1 and 255.97 mg g−1, respectively. Thus, this study suggested that it is feasible and efficient to remove organic contaminants with the nitrogen-doped porous biochars co-pyrolyzed from macroalgae and oyster shell, providing a potential green resource utilization of aquatic wastes for environmental remediation. Graphical Abstract

Abstract This study focused on strategically employing the carboxylesterase enzyme Ha006a, derived from the pesticide-resistant microorganism Helicoverpa armigera, to detect atrazine. A comprehensive analysis through biochemical, biophysical and bioinformatics approaches was conducted to determine the interaction between the Ha006a protein and the herbicide atrazine. These experimental findings elucidated the potential of leveraging the inherent pesticide sequestration mechanism of the Ha006a enzyme for sensor fabrication. Numerous optimizations were undertaken to ensure the precision, reproducibility and convenient storage of the resulting electrochemical sensor, Ha006a/MCPE. This biosensor exhibited exceptional performance in detecting atrazine, demonstrating outstanding selectivity with a lower limit of detection of 5.4 µM. The developed biosensor has emerged as a reliable and cost-effective green tool for the detection of atrazine from diverse environmental samples. The Ha006a-based biosensor fabrication has expanded the possibilities for the efficient integration of insect enzymes as analytical tools, paving the way for the design of cost-effective biosensors capable of detecting and quantifying pesticides.

Abstract Pesticides like atrazine which are frequently present in everyday surroundings, have adverse impacts on human health and may contribute to male infertility. The work aimed to analyze the histological and biochemical effects of atrazine on the testis in adult albino rats and whether co-administration with resveratrol could reverse the effect of atrazine. Forty adult male albino rats in good health participated in this study. They were categorized at random into four groups: the Group Ӏ received water through a gastric tube for two months every day, the Group ӀӀ received resveratrol (20 mg/kg body weight (b.w.)) through a gastric tube for two months every day, the Group ӀӀӀ received atrazine (50 mg/kg bw) through a gastric tube for two months every day, the Group ӀV received concomitant doses of atrazine and resveratrol for two months every day. The testes of the animals were then carefully removed and prepared for biochemical, immunohistochemical, light, and electron microscopic studies. Atrazine exposure led to a significant decrease in serum testosterone hormone level, upregulation of caspase 3 and iNOS mRNA levels, destructed seminiferous tubules with few sperms in their lumens, many collagen fibres accumulation in the tunica albuginea and the interstitium, abnormal morphology of some sperms as well as many vacuolations, and damaged mitochondria in the cytoplasm of many germ cells. Concomitant administration of resveratrol can improve these adverse effects. It was concluded that atrazine exposure is toxic to the testis and impairs male fertility in adult rat and coadministration of resveratrol guards against this toxicity.

Abstract The residue of atrazine in field soils poses a major threat to crop growth in the rotation system, raising concerns about grain security and food safety. Current agricultural production requires more efficient and cost-effective mitigation measures in response to the emerging threat. This study reported the critical concentration (0.1 mg L−1) of atrazine injury to soybean seedlings in soil pore water and how biochar amendment could influence the distribution of atrazine in different soil environments. The results showed that biochar significantly reduced the concentration of atrazine in soil pore water, for example, 0.5% biochar in red (cinnamon, fluvo-aquic, paddy, black) soil reduced atrazine concentration from 0.31 (0.20, 0.18, 0.12, 0.03) mg L−1 to 0.004 (0.002, 0.005, 0.013, 0.011) mg L−1 in pore water (P

AbstractPesticide use increases annually, and Brazil is the world’s largest consumer. However, unlike the European Union (EU), there is no established limit value for pesticide mixtures in drinking water, and therefore the concentration of pesticides can reach 3354 times the EU limit. Thus, determining the risk of exposure to pesticide mixtures and their main metabolites is challenging and requires the use of alternative methods. In the present study, the Common Carp Brain (CCB) cell line was used to evaluate the in vitro toxicity of relevant pesticide mixtures (glyphosate, 2,4-D, atrazine, and mancozeb) and their main metabolites after 72 h of exposure. The tested concentrations were based on the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) defined by Brazilian legislation. The results showed that cells exposed to lower concentrations of the pesticide mixtures and the pesticide + metabolite mixtures were affected by a decrease in cell confluence, resazurin metabolism, and wound healing capacity. The IBR index showed that lower concentrations had more severe effects, suggesting the absence of safe concentrations of these pesticide and metabolite mixtures for the CCB cell line within the tested concentration range. These findings raise concerns about the effects of exposure to these substances on animal and human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atrazine, a commonly employed herbicide for corn production, can leave residues in soil, resulting in photosynthetic toxicity and impeding growth in subsequent alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) crops within alfalfa-corn rotation systems. The molecular regulatory mechanisms by which atrazine affects alfalfa growth and development, particularly its impact on the microbial communities of the alfalfa rhizosphere, are not well understood. This study carried out field experiments to explore the influence of atrazine stress on the biomass, chlorophyll content, antioxidant system, and rhizosphere microbial communities of the atrazine-sensitive alfalfa variety WL- 363 and the atrazine-resistant variety JN5010. The results revealed that atrazine significantly reduced WL-363 growth, decreasing plant height by 8.58cm and root length by 5.42cm (p <0.05). Conversely, JN5010 showed minimal reductions, with decreases of 1.96cm in height and 1.26cm in root length. Chlorophyll content in WL-363 decreased by 35% under atrazine stress, while in JN5010, it was reduced by only 10%. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation increased by 60% in WL- 363, compared to a 20% increase in JN5010 (p <0.05 for both). Antioxidant enzyme activities, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), were significantly elevated in JN5010 (p <0.05), suggesting a more robust defense mechanism. Although the predominant bacterial and fungal abundances in rhizosphere soils remained generally unchanged under atrazine stress, specific microbial groups exhibited variable responses. Notably, Promicromonospora abundance declined in WL-363 but increased in JN5010. FAPROTAX functional predictions indicated shifts in the abundance of microorganisms associated with pesticide degradation, resistance, and microbial structure reconstruction under atrazine stress, displaying different patterns between the two varieties. This study provides insights into how atrazine residues affect alfalfa rhizosphere microorganisms and identifies differential microbial responses to atrazine stress, offering valuable reference data for screening and identifying atrazine-degrading bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The herbicide atrazine (ATR) has been one of the most widely used herbicides worldwide. However, due to its indiscriminate use, it has been considered an environmental contaminant. Several studies have classified ATR as an endocrine disruptor, and it has been found to have neurotoxic effects on behavior, along with alterations in the dopaminergic, GABAergic, and glutamatergic systems in the basal ganglia of male rodents. These findings suggest that these neurotransmitter systems are targets of this herbicide. However, there are no studies evaluating the neurotoxicity of ATR in female rodents. Our study aimed to assess the effects of repeated IP injections of 100 mg ATR/kg or a vehicle every other day for 2 weeks (six injections) on the locomotor activity, content of monoamines, GABA, glutamate, and glutamine in the striatum, nucleus accumbens, ventral midbrain, and prefrontal cortex, and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) protein levels in striatum and nucleus accumbens of female rats. Repeated 100 mg ATR/kg injections immediately decreased all the locomotor activity parameters evaluated, and such hypoactivity persisted for at least 48 h after the last ATR administration. The ATR administration increased dopamine and DOPAC content in the nucleus accumbens and the dopamine and DOPAC and serotonin and 5-HIAA content in the ventral midbrain. In contrast, the TH protein levels in the striatum and nucleus accumbens were similar between groups. Meanwhile, GABA, glutamine, and glutamate levels remained unaltered in all brain regions evaluated. The observed behavioral alterations could be associated with the monoamine changes presented by the rats. These data reveal that the nucleus accumbens and ventral midbrain are susceptible to repeated ATR exposure in female rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the impact of contaminated freshwater on the spread of tropical diseases in Europe, with a focus on the effects of pollutants on the development and transmission of parasites, particularly Schistosoma spp. The authors discuss the role of pesticides, antibiotics, heavy metals, landfills, and microplastics in promoting or disrupting the host-parasite relationship. They emphasize the need for further research and policy adjustments to minimize these threats and develop better disease control strategies. The article also includes a list of references covering various topics related to environmental health, parasitology, and climate change. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Globally, grain legumes are the paramount family of agricultural crops following cereals. Generally, sequence cropping has manifested effectual in increasing farm productivity and profitability. However, sometimes herbicides administered in previous crop may be associated with phytotoxic effects that can later cause damage to the succeeding crops. The present study aimed to understand the residual effect of extreme levels of atrazine on succeeding cowpea under maize-cowpea cropping system. Methods: Field experiments were conducted during Kharif and rabi season of 2019-20 and 2020-21 in a randomized block design with eleven treatments, replicated thrice. Result: Residual effect of pre-emergence atrazine at 0.50 kg a.i ha-1 followed by tembotrione at 120 g a.i ha-1 as post-emergence at 25 DAS recorded the lowest total weed density (4.41), total weed dry weight (9.81 g m-2) and highest weed control efficiency (39.25%) during rabi 2019-20 while during rabi 2020-21 lowest total weed density (5.03), total weed dry weight (10.68 g m-2) and highest weed control efficiency (39.65%) were noticed in pre-emergence atrazine 50% WP at 2.00 kg a.i ha-1. Highest seed yield (788.67 and 842.33 kg ha-1) was obtained in weed free treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dirigent (DIR) genes play a pivotal role in plant development and stress adaptation. Manihot esculenta Crantz, commonly known as cassava, is a drought-resistant plant thriving in tropical and subtropical areas. It is extensively utilized for starch production, bioethanol, and animal feed. However, a comprehensive analysis of the DIR family genes remains unexplored in cassava, a crucial cash and forage crop in tropical and subtropical regions. In this study, we characterize a total of 26 cassava DIRs (MeDIRs) within the cassava genome, revealing their uneven distribution across 13 of the 18 chromosomes. Phylogenetic analysis classified these genes into four subfamilies: DIR-a, DIR-b/d, DIR-c, and DIR-e. Comparative synteny analysis with cassava and seven other plant species (Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), poplar (Populus trichocarpa), soybean (Glycine max), tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), rice (Oryza sativa), maize (Zea mays), and wheat (Triticum aestivum)) provided insights into their likely evolution. We also predict protein interaction networks and identify cis-acting elements, elucidating the functional differences in MeDIR genes. Notably, MeDIR genes exhibited specific expression patterns across different tissues and in response to various abiotic and biotic stressors, such as pathogenic bacteria, cadmium chloride (CdCl2), and atrazine. Further validation through quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) confirmed the response of DIR genes to osmotic and salt stress. These findings offer a comprehensive resource for understanding the characteristics and biological functions of MeDIR genes in cassava, enhancing our knowledge of plant stress adaptation mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Retention and degradation of co-applied atrazine and fipronil was studied in laboratory constructed bio-augmented biobeds containing rice straw-compost (BM) and compost replaced with 10% rice husk ash [RHABM(10%)] or 1% wheat straw biochar [WBCBM(1%)] biomixtures. Atrazine (5000 µg, 50% WP) and fipronil (5000 µg, 0.3 G) were co-applied in 100 mL water. After 30 days, 7.31, 4.65, and 11.21 µg g−1 atrazine and 21.59, 7.41, and 37.20 µg g−1 fipronil remained undegraded in the top 3–4 cm of BM, RHABM(10%), WBCBM(1%) biobeds, respectively, suggesting that degradation of both pesticides significantly varied (p < 0.05) among the three biobeds. After 60 days 94.5%–98.3% of initially applied atrazine and 80.3%–86.9% fipronil degradation was observed. Hydroxyatrazine and sulphone were detected as the metabolites of atrazine and fipronil, respectively. Out of 5000 µg of initially applied pesticides, BM, RHABM(10%), and WBCBM(1%) biobeds accounted for 95.2%, 93.1%, and 95.2% of atrazine + hydroxyatrazine and 62.8%, 67.0%, and 71.5% of fipronil + sulphone degradation, respectively. Maximum amounts of recovered atrazine (68.8%–81.1%) and fipronil (89.8%–94.6%) were retained in the 0–5 cm sections of the biobeds. No significant effect of co-applied atrazine + fipronil was evident on the microbial parameters. This study suggested that RHA/WBC-mixed rice straw-compost biomixtures can be exploited for the detoxification of these pesticides in bio-purification systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the first time, a highly permeable nanoporous carbon derived from melamine-based polybenzoxazine (NPC-PBZ-m) was used as the solid-phase extraction sorbent for trace analysis of atrazine (ATZ) herbicide in environmental water samples as a pre-treatment to enhance detection for high-performance liquid chromatography. Extraction performance was investigated using an agricultural field matrix-water sample. The parameters affecting the solid-phase extraction efficiency were carefully investigated. The optimisation conditions were determined as 200.0 mg of sorbent with an adsorption flow rate of 10.0 mL min−1, an elution flow rate of 1.0 mL min−1, and an elution volume of 3.0 mL. Moreover, it was not necessary to adjust the pH of the sample. Under these optimised extraction conditions, good linearity between 5.00 and 30.0 µg L−1 was achieved along with a limit of detection (LOD) of 1.25 µg L−1 and a limit of quantification (LOQ) of 3.79 µg L−1. Furthermore, the reusability of the NPC-PBZ-m column was found up to 8 cycles making it a new cost-effective material for herbicide enrichment. Finally, this developed method was successfully applied to analyse ATZ in water samples from rice fields, fish farms, and natural canal water, with 98–117% relative recoveries. These results indicate that NPC-PBZ-m with our proposed method is feasible and demonstrates its potential application as an effective adsorbent for herbicide enrichment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines weed growth and husked baby corn cob yield under weed and nitrogen management in rainfed baby corn. The experiment evaluates integrated weed management comprising pre-emergence application of atrazine herbicide and manual weeding days after sowing and nutrient management and its effect on weed biomass and weed density compared to atrazine combined with tembotrione, hoeing and weeding days after sowing.

Agricultural drainage water is a significant source of return water due to its decentralization, large volume, and poor quality. This study examined the effectiveness of constructed wetlands in improving sugarcane field's drainage water in the south of Khuzestan province of Iran, located approximately 17 km north of Khorramshahr city at latitude 303,805.94′ N and longitude 480,759.86′ E, by removing agricultural herbicides (atrazine, glyphosate, paraquat, and 2, 4-D) and Total Coliforms (TC) and Fecal Coliforms (FC) from April 2019 to March 2020. A reed length was divided into three equal parts at three consecutive stations, ST1, ST2, and ST3. Natural reeds had a dimension of 3.5 km long, 1.2 km wide, and 0.5 m deep between two consecutive stations. According to the study, natural reeds were effective in removing agricultural herbicides and improving agricultural drainage water quality. ST3, which was the furthest from the entry point, had the largest difference in agricultural herbicides concentrations compared to their initial concentrations, as well as the highest removal efficiency (100%) during all four retention times (1.26, 1.10, 1.30, and 1.60 days). Natural reed at this distance from the entry point significantly reduced TC and FC. The ST3 station had the highest removal efficiency of TC and FC, with average values of 62 and 83%, respectively, while ST1 had the lowest (with values of 9 and 34%). Due to the differences in performance between ST1, ST2 and ST3 stations, ST2 is considered the most efficient and cost-effective station. The Khuzestan province has a water shortage and agricultural drainage water problems. Treating drainage water with environmentally friendly methods, like natural reeds, will prevent contamination of water sources and result in a significant amount of water entering the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the synthesis, characterization, and photocatalytic activity of zinc-doped cadmium aluminum ferrite ZnxCdX−1Al0.1Fe1.9O4 (X = 0,0.3) nanoparticles were investigated for the degradation of atrazine. The nanoparticles were synthesized via a sol–gel method, and their structural, morphological, and optical properties were characterized using various techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activity of the synthesized nanoparticles was evaluated under visible-light irradiation, and the influence of various parameters, such as Zn doping concentration, initial atrazine concentration, pH, temperature, catalyst dose, light intensity, and addition of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), was investigated. The results demonstrated a significant enhancement in atrazine degradation with Zn-doped cadmium aluminum ferrite, achieving a removal efficiency of 93% compared with 75% for undoped cadmium aluminum ferrite at normal conditions. Scavenger analysis suggested that hydroxyl radicals (OH˙) played a crucial role in the photodegradation process. These findings contribute to the development of efficient and sustainable photocatalysts for the degradation of atrazine and other organic pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pesticide residues in soil, especially multiple herbicide residues, cause a series of adverse effects on soil properties and microorganisms. In this work, the degradation of three herbicides and the effect on bacterial communities under combined pollution was investigated. The experimental results showed that the half-lives of acetochlor and prometryn significantly altered under combined exposure (5.02–11.17 d) as compared with those of individual exposure (4.70–6.87 d) in soil, suggesting that there was an antagonistic effect between the degradation of acetochlor and prometryn in soil. No remarkable variation in the degradation rate of atrazine with half-lives of 6.21–6.85 d was observed in different treatments, indicating that the degradation of atrazine was stable. 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing results showed that the antagonistic effect of acetochlor and prometryn on the degradation rate under combined pollution was related to variation of the Sphingomonas and Nocardioide. Furthermore, the potential metabolic pathways of the three herbicides in soil were proposed and a new metabolite of acetochlor was preliminarily identified. The results of this work provide a guideline for the risk evaluation of combined pollution of the three herbicides with respect to their ecological effects in soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herbicides are often detected in aquatic ecosystems due to residential and agricultural applications and can harm aquatic organisms once deposited into water systems. Pendimethalin is part of the dinitroaniline chemical family and is applied to crops like corn, legumes, potatoes, and soybeans. The potential toxicity of pendimethalin to aquatic species is understudied compared to other widely studied herbicides, like atrazine and glyphosate. The objectives of this review were to (1) collate information on sub-lethal responses to pendimethalin exposure in fish, (2) evaluate how exposure studies relate to environmental concentrations, and (3) identify putative bioindicators for exposure studies. Overall, studies reporting pendimethalin in water systems worldwide indicate a range of 100–300 ng/L, but levels have been reported as high as ~15 µg/g in sediment. In teleost fish, studies demonstrate developmental toxicity, immunotoxicity, and behavioral disruptions. The strongest evidence for pendimethalin-induced toxicity involves oxidative stress, although studies often test toxicity at higher concentrations than environmentally relevant levels. Using the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database, pathway analysis reveals linkages to neurotoxicity and mechanisms of neurodegeneration like "Ubiquitin Dependent Protein Degradation", "Microtubule Cytoskeleton", "Protein Oxidation and Aggregation in Aging", and "Parkinson's Disease". Other prominent pathways included those related to mTOR signaling and reproduction. Thus, two potential mechanisms underlying pendimethalin-induced toxicity in fish include the neural and reproductive systems. This review synthesizes current data regarding environmental fate and ecotoxicology of pendimethalin in teleost fish and points to some putative physiological and molecular responses that may be beneficial for assessing toxicity of the herbicide in future investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pesticides like atrazine which are frequently present in everyday surroundings, have adverse impacts on human health and may contribute to male infertility. The work aimed to analyze the histological and biochemical effects of atrazine on the testis in adult albino rats and whether co-administration with resveratrol could reverse the effect of atrazine. Forty adult male albino rats in good health participated in this study. They were categorized at random into four groups: the Group Ӏ received water through a gastric tube for two months every day, the Group ӀӀ received resveratrol (20 mg/kg body weight (b.w.)) through a gastric tube for two months every day, the Group ӀӀӀ received atrazine (50 mg/kg bw) through a gastric tube for two months every day, the Group ӀV received concomitant doses of atrazine and resveratrol for two months every day. The testes of the animals were then carefully removed and prepared for biochemical, immunohistochemical, light, and electron microscopic studies. Atrazine exposure led to a significant decrease in serum testosterone hormone level, upregulation of caspase 3 and iNOS mRNA levels, destructed seminiferous tubules with few sperms in their lumens, many collagen fibres accumulation in the tunica albuginea and the interstitium, abnormal morphology of some sperms as well as many vacuolations, and damaged mitochondria in the cytoplasm of many germ cells. Concomitant administration of resveratrol can improve these adverse effects. It was concluded that atrazine exposure is toxic to the testis and impairs male fertility in adult rat and coadministration of resveratrol guards against this toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Free water surface constructed wetlands (FWSCWs) for the treatment of various wastewater types have evolved significantly over the last few decades. With an increasing need and interest in FWSCWs applications worldwide due to their cost-effectiveness and other benefits, this paper reviews recent literature on FWSCWs' ability to remove different types of pollutants such as nutrients (i.e., TN, TP, NH4-N), heavy metals (i.e., Fe, Zn, and Ni), antibiotics (i.e., oxytetracycline, ciprofloxacin, doxycycline, sulfamethazine, and ofloxacin), and pesticides (i.e., Atrazine, S-Metolachlor, imidacloprid, lambda-cyhalothrin, diuron 3,4-dichloroanilin, Simazine, and Atrazine) that may co-exist in wetland inflow, and discusses approaches for simulating hydraulic and pollutant removal processes. A bibliometric analysis of recent literature reveals that China has the highest number of publications, followed by the USA. The collected data show that FWSCWs can remove an average of 61.6%, 67.8%, 54.7%, and 72.85% of inflowing nutrients, heavy metals, antibiotics, and pesticides, respectively. Optimizing each pollutant removal process requires specific design parameters. Removing heavy metal requires the lowest hydraulic retention time (HRT) (average of 4.78 days), removing pesticides requires the lowest water depth (average of 0.34 m), and nutrient removal requires the largest system size. Vegetation, especially Typha spp. and Phragmites spp., play an important role in FWSCWs' system performance, making significant contributions to the removal process. Various modeling approaches (i.e., black-box and process-based) were comprehensively reviewed, revealing the need for including the internal process mechanisms related to the biological processes along with plants spp., that supported by a further research with field study validations. This work presents a state-of-the-art, systematic, and comparative discussion on the efficiency of FWSCWs in removing different pollutants, main design factors, the vegetation, and well-described models for performance prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study determined acute toxicity, behavioural changes and histological effects of atrazine on juvenile Clarias gariepinus. The experiment involved exposing groups of fish to different concentrations {0.00 (control), 3.75, 6.25, 8.75, 11.25 and 13.75mg/l} of atrazine and monitoring fish mortality, physicochemical parameters of the test water and behavioural changes in the fish. The histological assessment of liver and gills was also carried out on dead fish to examine possible changes in their structural makeup in comparison to the organ extracted from the control. Acute toxicity test was conducted using standard methods and fish mortality was monitored for 96 hours. The physico-chemical parameters such as temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, total dissolved solids and electrical conductivity in the test solutions were monitored using standard procedure. The study revealed that there was no mortality in the control group, which had no atrazine, while mortality rates increased with increasing concentrations of atrazine. The highest percentage mortality (83.33%) was recorded at the highest concentration of 13.75mg/l. The 96-hour lethal concentration (LC50) value of atrazine computed based on logarithm was 8.84mg/l. At exposure to acute concentrations, fish showed abnormal behaviour such as restlessness, loss of colouration, respiratory stress, erratic swimming and instant death. Histological effects observed on the gills exposed to atrazine included interstitial haemorrhage, deformed primary and secondary lamella, lesion, blanketing and blood congestion. Liver tissues showed necrosis and vacuolation of hepatocytes. Dissolved oxygen level in the test solutions that contained atrazine reduced drastically and this might have induced death in fish recorded in the study. Inference from the study revealed that atrazine may be toxic to aquatic organisms, particularly juvenile C. gariepinus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pre-emergence (PE) atrazine is the most commonly used herbicide in forage sorghum, however, the discovery of new generation herbicides has opened weed control windows to be explored in forage sorghum for an extended period of weed control. Hence, a field experiment was conducted during rainy (kharif) seasons of 2021 and 2022 at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, India to evaluate the phytotoxicity and efficacy of very-long chain fatty acid elongase (VLCFAE)-inhibiting pre-emergence (PE) herbicides (metolachlor and pyroxasulfone) in comparison with PE atrazine alone and in sequence with post-emergence (PoE) atrazine and 2, 4-D. Weed free and weedy check treatments were also kept for comparison. No phytotoxicity of metolachlor on sorghum was observed, while pyroxasulfone’s phytotoxicity was minimal (rating < 3) but weed control was efficient and crop recovered vigorously in later stages. Using the pooled data from the two years, significantly lower (P ≤ 0.05) weed population by 98% was recorded in both PE pyroxasulfone and metolachlor over weedy check at harvest besides significant reduction in dry matter of weeds. The average WCE was highest in PE pyroxasulfone and increased progressively from 71.6% at 20 days after PE application to 92.2% at harvest. Treatment PE pyroxasulfone recorded significantly (P ≤ 0.05) higher green fodder yield over the other treatments (except weed free) although the differences were non-significant. The high cost of pyroxasulfone perhaps led to its BC ratio lower than the remaining treatments while PE atrazine alone and in sequence with post-emergence (PoE) atrazine recorded higher BC ratio. Nevertheless, pyroxasulfone could be an option for controlling the diversified and difficult to control weed flora in sorghum fodder as the study shows that the uncontrolled weeds (weedy check) on an average have caused 50.9, 48.3 and 59.8% reduction in green fodder yield, dry matter yield and net returns, respectively when compared to weed free check. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]