Effects of dissolved carboxylates and carbonates on the adsorption properties of thiuram disulfate pesticides

Glyphosate and glufosinate ammonium, herbicides commonly used on genetically modified crops, and their interaction with microplastics: Ecotoxicity in anuran tadpoles

The effects of glyphosate (GLY)-based and glufosinate ammonium (GA)-based herbicides (GBH and GABH, respectively) and polyethylene microplastic particles (PEMPs) on Scinax squalirostris tadpoles were assessed. Tadpoles were exposed to nominal concentrations of both herbicides (from 1.56 to 100 mg L-1) and PEMPs (60 mg L-1), either alone or in combination, and toxicity evaluated at 48 h. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE), carboxylesterase (CbE), and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activities were analyzed at the three lowest concentrations (1.56, 3.12 and 6.25 mg L-1, survival rates >85%) of both herbicides alone and with PEMPs. Additionally, the thermochemistry of the interactions between the herbicides and polyethylene (PE) was analyzed by Density Functional Theory (DFT). The median-lethal concentration (LC50) was 43.53 mg L-1 for GBH, 38.56 mg L-1 for GBH + PEMPs, 7.69 for GABH, and 6.25 mg L-1 for GABH+PEMPs. The PEMP treatment increased GST but decreased CbE activity, whereas GBH and GABH treatments increased GST but decreased AChE activity. In general, the mixture of herbicides with PEMPs increased the effect observed in the individual treatments: the highest concentration of GBH + PEMPs increased GST activity, whereas GABH+PEMP treatments decreased both AChE and CbE activities. DFT analysis revealed spontaneous interactions between the herbicides and PE, leading to the formation of bonds at the herbicide-PE interface, significantly stronger for GA than for GLY. The experimental and theoretical findings of our study indicate that these interactions may lead to an increase in toxicity when pollutants are together, meaning potential environmental risk of these combinations, especially in the case of GA.

Influence of soil copper content on the kinetics of thiram adsorption and on thiram leachability from soils

This work aimed to assess the influence of soil copper content on the sorption processes of thiram, a fungicide widely used in agriculture, most of the times together with copper. Two different types of studies were performed: (1) desorption studies of thiram with acetonitrile after batch adsorption equilibration, and ageing of the wet soil for a variable period of time; (2) kinetic studies of thiram adsorption performed using the soil in its original form and after fortification with copper ions. In the desorption studies, with the increase of the ageing time, a decrease of the thiram peak and a simultaneous increase of a new peak, assigned to a copper complex, were observed in the chromatograms. This new peak increases sharply until an ageing period of about 4d and then this area is maintained approximately constant until 18 d, the maximum ageing period studied. These results indicate that thiram reacts with copper ions along time giving rise to the formation of relatively persistent copper complexes in soil. Desorption studies with CaCl(2) 0.01 M solution showed that this complex is not extracted. Thus, it is not easily leached to ground and surface waters and copper may contribute to thiram immobilization in soil. The kinetic studies of thiram adsorption were performed in both soils and for two initial thiram concentrations (~7 and 20 mg L(-1)). For the soil fortified with copper the percentage of adsorbed thiram is higher than observed for the original soil at the same initial concentrations and equilibration times and 100% of adsorption is attained in 15 h or 48 h, depending on the thiram initial concentration. Four kinetic equations, the pseudo first- and second-order equations, the Elovich and the intraparticle diffusion equations were selected to fit the kinetic data of the adsorption process of thiram onto both original and fortified soil. The best model to describe the kinetics of thiram adsorption onto the original soil is the intraparticle diffusion model. For the soil fortified with copper ions we verified that for the highest initial thiram concentration, the best model is also the intraparticle diffusion model, however, for the lower initial thiram concentration the best model is the pseudo second-order kinetic equation, suggesting that, for a high Cu:Thi ratio, a chemical reaction of thiram with copper ions on the soil surface can occur, and it may be the rate controlling step. Since the kinetics of adsorption depends on both soil copper content and the initial thiram concentration in solution, i.e. depends on Cu:Thi ratio, it is difficult to choose a fixed batch equilibration time for adsorption studies of thiram.

IEP as a parameter characterizing the pH-dependent surface charging of materials other than metal oxides

The numerical values of points of zero charge (PZC, obtained by potentiometric titration) and of isoelectric points (IEP) of various materials reported in the literature have been analyzed. In sets of results reported for the same chemical compound (corresponding to certain chemical formula and crystallographic structure), the IEP are relatively consistent. In contrast, in materials other than metal oxides, the sets of PZC are inconsistent. In view of the inconsistence in the sets of PZC and of the discrepancies between PZC and IEP reported for the same material, it seems that IEP is more suitable than PZC as the unique number characterizing the pH-dependent surface charging of materials other than metal oxides. The present approach is opposite to the usual approach, in which the PZC and IEP are considered as two equally important parameters characterizing the pH-dependent surface charging of materials other than metal oxides.

Effect of long term organic amendments on adsorption-desorption of thiram onto a luvisol soil derived from loess

The objective of this work was to assess the influence of soil organic amendments on the sorption properties of the fungicide thiram. The organic amendments studied were organic household compost (COM), sewage sludge from municipal water treatment facilities (SLU) and farmyard manure (FYM), which were compared to mineral fertilizer application (MIN). Sorption-desorption experiments were performed using the batch method and the results indicated that the adsorption isotherms were non-linear and were found to conform to the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) model, suggesting multilayer adsorption and adsorbate-adsorbate interactions after the saturation of the surface layer. In general, distribution coefficient values, K(D), are dependent on, but not proportional to, the initial concentration of thiram. For a fixed thiram initial concentration, a significant correlation (r(2)>0.851; p<0.001) between K(D) values and the soil organic carbon content (OC) was observed. The highest value of K(D) was observed for the soil amended with compost, which is the one with the highest organic carbon content. K(D) values were divided by the soil organic carbon contents in order to obtain organic carbon partition coefficients K(OC). Comparing K(OC) means from 3 (initial concentrations) x 4 (soil organic matter compositions) x 3 (replicates) factorial ANOVA allow us to conclude that there is a significant but not proportional influence of the initial concentration of thiram on those values, but changes in the soil organic matter composition, associated to different soil amendments, have no significant influence on adsorption of thiram. To evaluate the reversibility of thiram adsorption, two consecutive desorption cycles were performed with CaCl(2) 0.01 mol L(-1). The desorption K(D) values were consistently higher (approximately twice) than those for adsorption at the same equilibrium concentrations for all soil samples supporting the existence of hysteresis in the adsorption-desorption behavior of thiram. Despite the fact that the adsorption K(D) values were proportionally increased with increasing total organic carbon content, this was not the case for the desorption K(D) values.

Adsorption-desorption behavior of thiram onto humic acid

The adsorption/desorption behavior of pure thiram (Thi-P) and formulated thiram (Thi-F) onto commercial humic acids (HA) was studied using a batch equilibration procedure. Results of adsorption kinetic experiments showed that thiram adsorption is a fast process since 85% of the equilibrium concentration is reached within two hours. Experimental K(D) values between 0.110 to 0.210 L g(-1) were obtained for the adsorption of both Thi-P and Thi-F onto HA, suggesting that thiram is strongly sorbed by humic acids. In general, for both Thi-P and Thi-F, the lower the initial thiram concentration, the stronger is its adsorption (higher K(D) and percentage adsorption values). The adsorption isotherms were found to match the BET model. The results show that thiram adsorption onto condensed humic acids cannot be explained only in terms of specific interactions, such as those identified in studies of adsorption of thiram with humic acids in solution. The comparison of sorption and desorption results allowed the observation of hysteresis phenomena. Desorption K(D) values were consistently higher than those for adsorption at the same equilibrium concentration. Hysteresis was lower for the formulated thiram suggesting that adsorption is more reversible in the presence of the formulation components turning the pesticide more susceptible to be leached.

Effects of dissolved carbonates and carboxylates on the sorption of thiuram disulfide pesticides on humic acids and model surfaces

The sorption of a hydrophobic pesticide, thiram, on humic acid (HA) occurs via a specific pH-dependent binding of thiram at the deprotonated carboxylates of humic acid, forming a species thiram-[HACOO-] with K = 0.69. Similarly, thiram was sorbed by two model polycarboxylate-{SiO2COOH} materials via the formation of a surface species thiram-{SiO2COO-} with K = 0.45 between thiram and the eprotonated carboxylates grafted on SiO2 particles. In all cases, allowance of presence of bicarbonate at natural concentration caused severe inhibition of thiram's sorption. Oxalate and formate mimic the inhibitive effect of bicarbonate. Theoretical fit of the data showed that the inhibitive effect of HCO3- is due to the formation of the anionic species [thiram-HCO3](-1) (with K = 0.90) which is water soluble and competes with the bound species thiram-{HACOO-}. The same phenomena were observed for the sorption of disulfiram. The specific interaction phenomena reported here bear relevance to the sorption properties of thiram and disulfiram on real soils and, therefore, may determine their environmental fate.

Thermodynamics of adsorption of dithiocarbamates at the hanging mercury drop

Two dimethyldithiocarbamate (DMDTC) pesticides, thiram and ziram, are adsorbed onto a Hg drop via an entropically driven process. The adsorption isotherms are described by the Frumkin equation. For both molecules, the adsorption is characterized by a nonlinear pseudosigmoid temperature dependence of the Gibbs free energy. For the temperature range of 273-313 K, DeltaGADS varies between -43.4 and -56.71 kJ/mol for thiram and -42.60 and -55.67 kJ/mol for ziram. This variation of DeltaGADS reveals that the adsorption strength is increased at higher temperatures. During the adsorption of either molecule, strong lateral interactions are developed between neighboring adsorbates, which are severely weakened as the temperature increases. A unified reaction scheme is suggested for both ziram and thiram that predicts the formation and adsorption of a surface complex, (DMDTC)2Hg. In the case of thiram, two DMDTC molecules are formed by the cleavage of the disulfide S-S bond near the Hg electrode. The thermodynamic and structural parameters reveal that there are two limiting thermodynamic regimes for the adsorbed (DMDTC)2Hg species that originate from two limiting adsorption conformations of the adsorbates on the Hg surface. A transition occurs between these two conformations at temperatures in the region of 285-295 K. This transition is accompanied by large entropic and enthalpic changes.