Hydrolysis of propyrisulfuron in water: Kinetics, influence of 34 environmental factors, transformation products identification, mechanisms and toxicities

Adsorption-desorption of propyrisulfuron in six typical agricultural soils of China: Kinetics, thermodynamics, influence of 38 environmental factors and its mechanisms

Propyrisulfuron, a novel sulfonylurea herbicide, effectively suppresses intracellular acetolactate synthase activity for weed control, but its adsorption behavior in the soil environment remains unclear. To assess potential agroecosystem risks, the adsorption-desorption behavior and mechanism of propyrisulfuron in six typical agricultural soils of China were investigated using a batch equilibrium method, Density Functional Theory (DFT), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and Scanning Electron Microscopy equipped with Energy Dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX) techniques. It is indicated that the adsorption-desorption of propyrisulfuron in six soils reached equilibrium at 36 h under the optimum water-to-soil ratio (WSr) of 5:1. Adsorption kinetics followed the quasi-second-order kinetic model, while the Freundlich model best described the adsorption process at equilibrium. The adsorption and desorption were significantly and positively correlated with soil clay content, and 38 environmental factors had varying degrees of influence on its adsorption properties, especially those influenced by microplastics (MPs). Furthermore, the adsorption of propyrisulfuron in six soils was primarily a spontaneous, non-homogeneous, and non-ideal physical process, and special strong forces, such as hydrogen bonding might be involved. Consequently, due to its continuous application, potential persistent residues and pollution may occur in some soils. The investigations systematically reported the adsorption-desorption behavior of propyrisulfuron in various agricultural soils for the first time, providing scientific guidance for environmental risk assessment of groundwater pollution caused by its continuous application in agro-ecosystems.

Degradation of the novel herbicide tiafenacil in aqueous solution: Kinetics, various influencing factors, hydrolysis products identification, and toxicity assessment

As new pesticides are continually introduced into agricultural systems, understanding their environmental behavior and potential toxicity effects is crucial for effective risk assessment. This study utilized QuEChERS and UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS techniques to analyze Tiafenacil (TFA) and its six hydrolysis products (HP1 to HP6) in water, marking the first comprehensive report on these degradation products. Calibration curves demonstrated strong linearity (R2 ≥ 0.9903) across concentrations ranging from 0.02 to 3.50 mg L-1. TFA's hydrolysis followed single first-order kinetic (SFOK) model, with rapid degradation observed under alkaline and high-temperature conditions, resulting in half-lives ranging from 0.22 to 84.82 days. The ECOSAR model predicts that TFA's hydrolysis products exhibit acute and chronic toxicity to fish, Daphnia, and green algae. Additionally, hydrolysis products HP1, HP5, and HP6 were detected in irrigation water from citrus orchards, posing higher predicted toxicity risks to fish and green algae. This highlights the necessity for further risk assessments considering transformation products. Overall, this study enhances our understanding of TFA's environmental fate and supports its safe agricultural application and monitoring practices.

Development and Application of a New QuEChERS Method Coupled with UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS for Analysis of Tiafenacil and Its Photolysis Products in Water

This research centered on the novel pyrimidinedione herbicide, tiafenacil. Residues of tiafenacil and its three photolysis products (PP1 to PP3) in water were analyzed using advanced QuEChERS and UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS techniques, reaching a low limit of quantitation (LOQ) of 10 μg/L. Calibration curves exhibited a high degree of linearity (R2 ≥ 0.993) over a concentration range of 0.01 to 1.00 mg/L. Method validation demonstrated high precision, with intraday relative standard deviation RSDr ≤7.9% and interday RSDR ≤ 6.1%, along with high accuracy (recoveries from 94.4% to 105.0%). Using density functional theory (DFT) at the B3LYP/6-311g (d) level, we calculated the electronic properties of tiafenacil and its PPs (PP1 to PP3). Additionally, frontier molecular orbital (FMO) and fukui function analyses were conducted to explore HOMO-LUMO energies, determine energy band gaps for these substances, and predict reactive sites for their electrophilic, nucleophilic, and radical reactions. Significantly, ecotoxicity assessment, including ECOSAR predictions and acute toxicity tests, revealed that the PPs exhibited higher ecotoxicity to aquatic organisms than tiafenacil. Field experiments showed a half-life of 18.9 days for tiafenacil in water, fitting a first-order kinetic model (R2 = 0.999), with a degradation of 41.5% after 14 days and approximately 89.2% after 60 days. This study significantly advances our understanding of tiafenacil's environmental fate, evaluates its associated risks, and offers valuable insights for its responsible application.

Effect of tannic acid binding on the thermal degradation behavior and product toxicity of boscalid

The effect of tannic acid (TA) binding on the thermal degradation of boscalid was studied in this work. The results revealed that TA binding has a significant impact on boscalid degradation. The degradation rate constant of bound boscalid was reduced, and its corresponding half-life was significantly prolonged compared to the free state. Four identical degradation products were detected in both states through UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS, indicating that degradation products were not affected by TA binding. Based on DFT and MS analysis, the degradation pathways of boscalid included hydroxyl substitution of chlorine atoms and cleavage of CN and CC bonds. The toxicity of B2 and B3 exceeded that of boscalid. In summary, the binding of TA and boscalid significantly affected the thermal degradation rate of boscalid while preserving the types of degradation products. This study contributed to a fundamental understanding of the degradation process of bound pesticide residues in complex food matrices.