1
|
Betz-Koch S, Jacobs B, Oehlmann J, Ratz D, Reutter C, Wick A, Oetken M. Pesticide dynamics in three small agricultural creeks in Hesse, Germany. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15650. [PMID: 37483984 PMCID: PMC10361075 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Due to their high biodiversity, small water bodies play an important role for freshwater ecosystems. Nonetheless, systematic pesticide monitoring in small creeks with a catchment <30 km2 is rarely conducted. Methods In this study, event-driven water samples were taken from May until November 2017 and March until July 2018 after 20 rain events at three sampling sites with catchment areas of <27 km2 in the Wetterau, a region with intensive agriculture in Southern Hesse, Germany. Additionally, enriched extracts of the native water samples from the campaign in 2018 were used for the Microtox assay to determine baseline toxicity to invertebrates over time and sum of toxic units (STU) were calculated to compare the potential toxicity of the samples. Results Overall, 37 pesticides and 17 transformation products were found, whereby the herbicide metamitron (79 µg/L) showed the highest concentration. Regularly, pesticide concentrations peaked at the time of the highest water level within each sampling event. Within each sampling event maximum pesticide concentration was mostly reached in water samples taken during the first two hours. The sum of the time-weighted mean concentration values of all pesticides was between 2.0 µg/L and 7.2 µg/L, whereby the measured concentrations exceeded their regulatory acceptable concentration (RAC) at 55% of all sampling events for at least one pesticide. The mean EC50 values varied between 28.6 ± 13.1 to 41.3 ± 12.1 REF (relative enrichment factor). The results indicated that several samples caused baseline toxicity, whereby the highest activity was measured at the time of highest water levels and pesticides concentrations, and then steadily decreased in parallel with the water level. Median STUs of invertebrates ranged from -2.10 to -3.91, of algae/aquatic plants from -0.79 to -1.84 and of fish from -2.47 to -4.24. For one of the three sampling sites, a significant linear correlation between baseline toxicity and STUinvertebratewas found (r2 = 0.48). Conclusion The results of the present study suggest that (1) current pesticide monitoring programs underestimate risks posed by the exposure to pesticides for aquatic organisms and (2) pre-authorization regulatory risk assessment schemes are insufficient to protect aquatic environments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Betz-Koch
- Department Aquatic Ecotoxicology, Johann Wolfgang Goethe Universität Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt/Main, Germany
| | - Björn Jacobs
- German Federal Institute of Hydrology, Bundesanstalt für Gewässerkunde (BfG), Koblenz, Germany
| | - Jörg Oehlmann
- Department Aquatic Ecotoxicology, Johann Wolfgang Goethe Universität Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt/Main, Germany
| | - Dominik Ratz
- Department Aquatic Ecotoxicology, Johann Wolfgang Goethe Universität Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt/Main, Germany
| | - Christian Reutter
- Department Aquatic Ecotoxicology, Johann Wolfgang Goethe Universität Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt/Main, Germany
| | - Arne Wick
- German Federal Institute of Hydrology, Bundesanstalt für Gewässerkunde (BfG), Koblenz, Germany
| | - Matthias Oetken
- Department Aquatic Ecotoxicology, Johann Wolfgang Goethe Universität Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt/Main, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Halbach K, Möder M, Schrader S, Liebmann L, Schäfer RB, Schneeweiss A, Schreiner VC, Vormeier P, Weisner O, Liess M, Reemtsma T. Small streams-large concentrations? Pesticide monitoring in small agricultural streams in Germany during dry weather and rainfall. WATER RESEARCH 2021; 203:117535. [PMID: 34403843 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2021.117535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Few studies have examined the exposure of small streams (< 30 km2 catchment size) to agriculturally used pesticides, compared to large rivers. A total of 105 sites in 103 small agricultural streams were investigated for 76 pesticides (insecticides, herbicides, fungicides) and 32 pesticide metabolites in spring and summer over two years (2018 and 2019) during dry weather and rainfall using event-driven sampling. The median total concentration of the 76 pesticides was 0.18 µg/L, with 9 pesticides per sample on average (n = 815). This is significantly higher than monitoring data for larger streams, reflecting the close proximity to agricultural fields and the limited dilution by non-agricultural waters. The frequency of detection of all pesticides correlated with sales quantity and half-lives in water. Terbuthylazine, MCPA, boscalid, and tebuconazole showed the highest median concentrations. The median of the total concentration of the 32 metabolites exceeded the pesticide concentration by more than an order of magnitude. During dry weather, the median total concentration of the 76 pesticides was 0.07 µg/L, with 5 pesticides per sample on average. Rainfall events increased the median total pesticide concentration by a factor of 10 (to 0.7 µg/L), and the average number of pesticides per sample to 14 (with up to 41 in single samples). The concentration increase was particularly strong for 2,4-D, MCPA, terbuthylazine, and nicosulfuron (75 percentile). Metabolite concentrations were generally less responsive to rainfall, except for those of terbuthylazine, flufenacet, metamitron, and prothioconazole. The frequent and widespread exceedance of the regulatory acceptable concentrations (RAC) of the 76 pesticides during both, dry weather and rainfall, suggests that current plant protection product authorization and risk mitigation methods are not sufficient to protect small streams.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Halbach
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig 04318, Germany
| | - Monika Möder
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig 04318, Germany
| | - Steffi Schrader
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig 04318, Germany
| | - Liana Liebmann
- Department System-Ecotoxicology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig 04318, Germany; Institute of Ecology, Diversity and Evolution, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main 60438, Germany
| | - Ralf B Schäfer
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, University Koblenz-Landau, Landau in der Pfalz 76829, Germany
| | - Anke Schneeweiss
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, University Koblenz-Landau, Landau in der Pfalz 76829, Germany
| | - Verena C Schreiner
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, University Koblenz-Landau, Landau in der Pfalz 76829, Germany
| | - Philipp Vormeier
- Department System-Ecotoxicology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig 04318, Germany; RWTH Aachen University, Institute for Environmental Research (Biology V), Aachen, Germany
| | - Oliver Weisner
- Department System-Ecotoxicology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig 04318, Germany; Institute for Environmental Sciences, University Koblenz-Landau, Landau in der Pfalz 76829, Germany
| | - Matthias Liess
- Department System-Ecotoxicology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig 04318, Germany; RWTH Aachen University, Institute for Environmental Research (Biology V), Aachen, Germany
| | - Thorsten Reemtsma
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig 04318, Germany; Institute for Analytical Chemistry, University of Leipzig, Linnéstrasse 3, Leipzig 04103, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Menger F, Boström G, Jonsson O, Ahrens L, Wiberg K, Kreuger J, Gago-Ferrero P. Identification of Pesticide Transformation Products in Surface Water Using Suspect Screening Combined with National Monitoring Data. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:10343-10353. [PMID: 34291901 PMCID: PMC8383268 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c00466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Revised: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Pesticides are widespread anthropogenic chemicals and well-known environmental contaminants of concern. Much less is known about transformation products (TPs) of pesticides and their presence in the environment. We developed a novel suspect screening approach for not well-explored pesticides (n = 16) and pesticide TPs (n = 242) by integrating knowledge from national monitoring with high-resolution mass spectrometry data. Weekly time-integrated samples were collected in two Swedish agricultural streams using the novel Time-Integrating, MicroFlow, In-line Extraction (TIMFIE) sampler. The integration of national monitoring data in the screening approach increased the number of prioritized compounds approximately twofold (from 23 to 42). Ultimately, 11 pesticide TPs were confirmed by reference standards and 12 TPs were considered tentatively identified with varying levels of confidence. Semiquantification of the newly confirmed TPs indicated higher concentrations than their corresponding parent pesticides in some cases, which highlights concerns related to (unknown) pesticide TPs in the environment. Some TPs were present in the environment without co-occurrence of their corresponding parent compounds, indicating higher persistency or mobility of the identified TPs. This study showcased the benefits of integrating monitoring knowledge in this type of studies, with advantages for suspect screening performance and the possibility to increase relevance of future monitoring programs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Frank Menger
- Department
of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish
University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), SE-75007 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Gustaf Boström
- Department
of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish
University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), SE-75007 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ove Jonsson
- Department
of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish
University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), SE-75007 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Lutz Ahrens
- Department
of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish
University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), SE-75007 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Karin Wiberg
- Department
of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish
University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), SE-75007 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jenny Kreuger
- Department
of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish
University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), SE-75007 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Pablo Gago-Ferrero
- Department
of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment
and Water Research—Severo Ochoa Excellence Center (IDAEA), Spanish Council of Scientific Research (CSIC), Jordi Girona 18−26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
- Catalan
Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Carrer Emili Grahit 101, 17003 Girona, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Neale PA, Braun G, Brack W, Carmona E, Gunold R, König M, Krauss M, Liebmann L, Liess M, Link M, Schäfer RB, Schlichting R, Schreiner VC, Schulze T, Vormeier P, Weisner O, Escher BI. Assessing the Mixture Effects in In Vitro Bioassays of Chemicals Occurring in Small Agricultural Streams during Rain Events. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2020; 54:8280-8290. [PMID: 32501680 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c02235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Rain events may impact the chemical pollution burden in rivers. Forty-four small streams in Germany were profiled during several rain events for the presence of 395 chemicals and five types of mixture effects in in vitro bioassays (cytotoxicity; activation of the estrogen, aryl hydrocarbon, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors; and oxidative stress response). While these streams were selected to cover a wide range of agricultural impacts, in addition to the expected pesticides, wastewater-derived chemicals and chemicals typical for street runoff were detected. The unexpectedly high estrogenic effects in many samples indicated the impact by wastewater or overflow of combined sewer systems. The 128 water samples exhibited a high diversity of chemical and effect patterns, even for different rain events at the same site. The detected 290 chemicals explained only a small fraction (<8%) of the measured effects. The experimental effects of the designed mixtures of detected chemicals that were expected to dominate the mixture effects of detected chemicals were consistent with predictions for concentration addition within a factor of two for 94% of the mixtures. Overall, the burden of chemicals and effects was much higher than that previously detected in surface water during dry weather, with the effects often exceeding proposed effect-based trigger values.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peta A Neale
- Australian Rivers Institute, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Southport, Queensland 4222, Australia
| | - Georg Braun
- UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig 04318, Germany
| | - Werner Brack
- UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig 04318, Germany
| | - Eric Carmona
- UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig 04318, Germany
| | - Roman Gunold
- UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig 04318, Germany
| | - Maria König
- UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig 04318, Germany
| | - Martin Krauss
- UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig 04318, Germany
| | - Liana Liebmann
- UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig 04318, Germany
| | - Matthias Liess
- UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig 04318, Germany
- Department of Ecosystem Analysis, Institute for Environmental Research, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, Aachen 52074, Germany
| | - Moritz Link
- University of Koblenz-Landau, iES - Institute for Environmental Sciences, Mainz 76829, Landau Germany
| | - Ralf B Schäfer
- University of Koblenz-Landau, iES - Institute for Environmental Sciences, Mainz 76829, Landau Germany
| | - Rita Schlichting
- UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig 04318, Germany
| | - Verena C Schreiner
- University of Koblenz-Landau, iES - Institute for Environmental Sciences, Mainz 76829, Landau Germany
| | - Tobias Schulze
- UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig 04318, Germany
| | - Philipp Vormeier
- UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig 04318, Germany
| | - Oliver Weisner
- UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig 04318, Germany
| | - Beate I Escher
- UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig 04318, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Wang D, Ning Q, Dong J, Brooks BW, You J. Predicting mixture toxicity and antibiotic resistance of fluoroquinolones and their photodegradation products in Escherichia coli. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2020; 262:114275. [PMID: 32142973 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.114275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2019] [Revised: 02/24/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Antibiotics in the environment usually co-exist with their transformation products with retained toxicity, raising concerns about environmental risks of their combined exposure. Herein, we reported a novel predictive approach for evaluating the individual and combined toxicity for photodegradation products of fluoroquinolone antibiotics (FQs). Quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) models with promising predictive performance were constructed and validated using experimental data obtained with 13 FQs and 78 mixtures towards E. coli. A structural descriptor reflecting the interaction among FQ molecules and the target protein was employed in the QSAR models, which was obtained through molecular docking and thus provided a rational mechanistic explanation for these models. The predicted results indicated that the degradation products displayed varying degrees of changes compared to the parent FQs, while the combined toxicity of FQs and their degradation products was mostly additive. Furthermore, following UV irradiation the degradation products displayed elevated capacity of inducing resistance mutations in E. coli, though their overall toxicity was reduced. This result highlights the implications of antibiotic degradation products on resistance development in bacteria and stresses the importance of considering such impacts during environmental risk assessments of antibiotics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dali Wang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 511443, China
| | - Qing Ning
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 511443, China
| | - Jiayu Dong
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 511443, China
| | - Bryan W Brooks
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 511443, China; Department of Environmental Science, Institute of Biomedical Studies, Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA
| | - Jing You
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 511443, China.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Lihl C, Heckel B, Grzybkowska A, Dybala-Defratyka A, Ponsin V, Torrentó C, Hunkeler D, Elsner M. Compound-specific chlorine isotope fractionation in biodegradation of atrazine. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. PROCESSES & IMPACTS 2020; 22:792-801. [PMID: 32091522 DOI: 10.1039/c9em00503j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Atrazine is a frequently detected groundwater contaminant. It can be microbially degraded by oxidative dealkylation or by hydrolytic dechlorination. Compound-specific isotope analysis is a powerful tool to assess its transformation. In previous work, carbon and nitrogen isotope effects were found to reflect these different transformation pathways. However, chlorine isotope fractionation could be a particularly sensitive indicator of natural transformation since chlorine isotope effects are fully represented in the molecular average while carbon and nitrogen isotope effects are diluted by non-reacting atoms. Therefore, this study explored chlorine isotope effects during atrazine hydrolysis with Arthrobacter aurescens TC1 and oxidative dealkylation with Rhodococcus sp. NI86/21. Dual element isotope slopes of chlorine vs. carbon isotope fractionation (Λ = 1.7 ± 0.9 vs. Λ = 0.6 ± 0.1) and chlorine vs. nitrogen isotope fractionation (Λ = -1.2 ± 0.7 vs. Λ = 0.4 ± 0.2) provided reliable indicators of different pathways. Observed chlorine isotope effects in oxidative dealkylation (εCl = -4.3 ± 1.8‰) were surprisingly large, whereas in hydrolysis (εCl = -1.4 ± 0.6‰) they were small, indicating that C-Cl bond cleavage was not the rate-determining step. This demonstrates the importance of constraining expected isotope effects of new elements before using the approach in the field. Overall, the triple element isotope information brought forward here enables a more reliable identification of atrazine sources and degradation pathways.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christina Lihl
- Institute of Groundwater Ecology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstädter Landstraße 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
7
|
Hollender J, Rothardt J, Radny D, Loos M, Epting J, Huggenberger P, Borer P, Singer H. Comprehensive micropollutant screening using LC-HRMS/MS at three riverbank filtration sites to assess natural attenuation and potential implications for human health. WATER RESEARCH X 2018; 1:100007. [PMID: 31194029 PMCID: PMC6549901 DOI: 10.1016/j.wroa.2018.100007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2018] [Revised: 09/06/2018] [Accepted: 10/25/2018] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Riverbank filtration (RBF) is used worldwide to produce high quality drinking water. With river water often contaminated by micropollutants (MPs) from various sources, this study addresses the occurrence and fate of such MPs at three different RBF sites with oxic alluvial sediments and short travel times to the drinking water well down to hours. A broad range of MPs with various physico-chemical properties were analysed with detection limits in the low ng L-1 range using solid phase extraction followed by liquid chromatography coupled to tandem high resolution mass spectrometry. Out of the 526 MPs targeted, a total of 123 different MPs were detected above the limit of quantification at the three different RBF sites. Of the 75-96 MPs detected in each river, 43-59% were attenuated during RBF. The remaining total concentrations of the MPs in the raw drinking water accounted to 0.6-1.6 μgL-1 with only a few compounds exceeding 0.1 μgL-1, an often used threshold value. The attenuation was most pronounced in the first meters of infiltration with a full elimination of 17 compounds at all three sites. However, a mixing with groundwater related to regional groundwater flow complicated the characterisation of natural attenuation potentials along the transects. Additional non-target screening at one site revealed similar trends for further non-target components. Overall, a risk assessment of the target and estimated non-target compound concentrations finally indicated during the sampling period no health risk of the drinking water according to current guidelines. Our results demonstrate that monitoring of contamination sources within a catchment and the affected water quality remains important in such vulnerable systems with partially short residence times.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juliane Hollender
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Ueberlandstrasse 133, 8600 Duebendorf, Switzerland
- Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, Universitätstrasse 16, ETH Zürich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
- Corresponding author. Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Ueberlandstrasse 133, 8600 Duebendorf, Switzerland.
| | - Judith Rothardt
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Ueberlandstrasse 133, 8600 Duebendorf, Switzerland
| | - Dirk Radny
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Ueberlandstrasse 133, 8600 Duebendorf, Switzerland
| | - Martin Loos
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Ueberlandstrasse 133, 8600 Duebendorf, Switzerland
| | - Jannis Epting
- Applied and Environmental Geology, University of Basel, Bernoullistrasse 32, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Peter Huggenberger
- Applied and Environmental Geology, University of Basel, Bernoullistrasse 32, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Paul Borer
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Ueberlandstrasse 133, 8600 Duebendorf, Switzerland
| | - Heinz Singer
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Ueberlandstrasse 133, 8600 Duebendorf, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
|
9
|
Chiaia-Hernandez AC, Keller A, Wächter D, Steinlin C, Camenzuli L, Hollender J, Krauss M. Long-Term Persistence of Pesticides and TPs in Archived Agricultural Soil Samples and Comparison with Pesticide Application. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2017; 51:10642-10651. [PMID: 28829578 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.7b02529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
For polar and more degradable pesticides, not many data on long-term persistence in soil under field conditions and real application practices exist. To assess the persistence of pesticides in soil, a multiple-compound screening method (log Kow 1.7-5.5) was developed based on pressurized liquid extraction, QuEChERS and LC-HRMS. The method was applied to study 80 polar pesticides and >90 transformation products (TPs) in archived topsoil samples from the Swiss Soil Monitoring Network (NABO) from 1995 to 2008 with known pesticide application patterns. The results reveal large variations between crop type and field sites. For the majority of the sites 10-15 pesticides were identified with a detection rate of 45% at concentrations between 1 and 330 μg/kgdw in soil. Furthermore, TPs were detected in 47% of the cases where the "parent-compound" was applied. Overall, residues of about 80% of all applied pesticides could be detected with half of these found as TPs with a persistence of more than a decade.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Armin Keller
- Agroscope, Swiss Soil Monitoring Network (NABO) , Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Daniel Wächter
- Agroscope, Swiss Soil Monitoring Network (NABO) , Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Christine Steinlin
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag) Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Louise Camenzuli
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag) Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Juliane Hollender
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag) Dübendorf, Switzerland
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich , Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Martin Krauss
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag) Dübendorf, Switzerland
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) , Leipzig, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Li Z, Kaserzon SL, Plassmann MM, Sobek A, Gómez Ramos MJ, Radke M. A strategic screening approach to identify transformation products of organic micropollutants formed in natural waters. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. PROCESSES & IMPACTS 2017; 19:488-498. [PMID: 28233005 DOI: 10.1039/c6em00635c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Many transformation products (TPs) from organic micropollutants are not included in routine environmental monitoring programs due to limited knowledge of their occurrence and fate. An efficient method to identify and prioritize critical compounds in terms of environmental relevance is needed. In this study, we applied a strategic screening approach based on a case-control concept to identify TPs formed along wastewater-impacted rivers. Time-integrated samples were collected over one week at both ends of a river stretch downstream of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) outfall and were analyzed by ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography interfaced with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QToF-MS/MS). The screening procedure of the high-resolution MS (HRMS) datasets consisted of three major steps: (i) screening for parent compounds (PCs) attenuated along the stretch; (ii) prediction of potential TPs from these PCs; and (iii) screening for TPs from this list with an increasing trend along the stretch. In total, 32 PCs decreased along the investigated river stretches. From these PCs, eight TPs had increasing concentrations along the studied stretches and could be tentatively identified. The identification of one TP (benzamide) was confirmed by its corresponding reference standard, while no standards were available for the remaining TPs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Li
- Department of Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry (ACES), Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
11
|
Elsner M, Imfeld G. Compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA) of micropollutants in the environment - current developments and future challenges. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2016; 41:60-72. [PMID: 27340797 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2016.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2016] [Revised: 03/14/2016] [Accepted: 04/12/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Over the last decade, the occurrence of micropollutants in the environment has become a worldwide issue of increasing concern. Compound-specific stable-isotope analysis (CSIA) of natural isotopic abundance may greatly enhance the evaluation of sources and transformation processes of micropollutants, such as pesticides, personal care products or pharmaceuticals. We summarize recent advances from laboratory studies, review current limitations and analytical challenges associated with low concentrations and high polarity of micropollutants, and delineate the potential of micropolluant CSIA for field applications. We highlight future challenges and prospects regarding source apportionment, identification of biotic and abiotic transformation reactions on a mechanistic level, as well as integrative evaluation of degradation hot spots on the catchment scale. Such advances may feed into a framework for risk assessment of micropollutants that includes CSIA.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Martin Elsner
- Institute of Groundwater Ecology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstädter Landstraße 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany.
| | - Gwenaël Imfeld
- Laboratoire d'Hydrologie et de Géochimie de Strasbourg (LHyGeS), UMR 7517, Université de Strasbourg/EOST, CNRS, 1 rue Blessig, 67084 Strasbourg Cedex, France
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Nizzetto L, Butterfield D, Futter M, Lin Y, Allan I, Larssen T. Assessment of contaminant fate in catchments using a novel integrated hydrobiogeochemical-multimedia fate model. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2016; 544:553-563. [PMID: 26674684 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.11.087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2015] [Revised: 11/18/2015] [Accepted: 11/18/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Models for pollution exposure assessment typically adopt an overly simplistic representation of geography, climate and biogeochemical processes. This strategy is unsatisfactory when high temporal resolution simulations for sub-regional spatial domains are performed, in which parameters defining scenarios can vary interdependently in space and time. This is, for example, the case when assessing the influence of biogeochemical processing on contaminant fate. Here we present INCA-Contaminants, the Integrated Catchments model for Contaminants; a new model that simultaneously and realistically solves mass balances of water, carbon, sediments and contaminants in the soil-stream-sediment system of catchments and their river networks as a function of climate, land use/management and contaminant properties. When forced with realistic climate and contaminant input data, the model was able to predict polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) concentrations in multiple segments of a river network in a complex landscape. We analyzed model output sensitivity to a number of hydro-biogeochemical parameters. The rate of soil organic matter mineralization was the most sensitive parameter controlling PCBs levels in river water, supporting the hypothesis that organic matter turnover rates will influence re-mobilization of previously deposited PCBs which had accumulated in soil organic matrix. The model was also used to project the long term fate of PCB 101 under two climate scenarios. Catchment diffuse run-off and riverine transport were the major pathways of contaminant re-mobilization. Simulations show that during the next decade the investigated boreal catchment will shift from being a net atmospheric PCB sink to a net source for air and water, with future climate perturbation having little influence on this trend. Our results highlight the importance of using credible hydro-biogeochemical simulations when modeling the fate of hydrophobic contaminants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luca Nizzetto
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research, NO-0349, Oslo, Norway; Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment, Masaryk University, 62500 Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Dan Butterfield
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research, NO-0349, Oslo, Norway
| | - Martyn Futter
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Yan Lin
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research, NO-0349, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ian Allan
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research, NO-0349, Oslo, Norway
| | | |
Collapse
|
13
|
Gassmann M, Olsson O, Stamm C, Weiler M, Kümmerer K. Physico-chemical characteristics affect the spatial distribution of pesticide and transformation product loss to an agricultural brook. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2015; 532:733-743. [PMID: 26119387 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.06.068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2015] [Revised: 06/17/2015] [Accepted: 06/17/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Diffuse entry of pesticide residues from agriculture into rivers is spatially unevenly distributed. Therefore, the identification of critical source areas (CSAs) may support water quality management in agricultural catchments. In contrast to former studies, we followed the hypothesis that not only hydrological and topographical characteristics but also physico-chemical properties of pesticide residues have a major influence on their loss to rivers and on corresponding formation of CSAs. We designed a virtual experiment, i.e. a numerical experiment as close as possible to environmental conditions, in a headwater catchment where pronounced spatial differences in hydrological transport processes were identified in the past. 144 scenarios with different combinations of adsorption coefficients (KOC = 10-1000 ml/g) and transformation half-lives (DT50 = 3-60 days) for pesticide parent compounds (PCs) and their transformation products (TPs) were simulated using the catchment-scale spatially distributed reactive transport model ZIN-AgriTra. Export fractions of substances in the virtual experiment ranged from 0.001-15% for pesticides and 0.001-1.8% for TPs. The results of the scenario investigations suggest that more of the calculated export mass variability could be attributed to KOC than to DT50 for both PCs and TPs. CSAs for TPs were spatially more equally distributed in the catchment than for PC export which was likely an effect of changing physico-chemical properties during transformation. The ranking of highest export fields was different between PCs and TPs for most of the investigated scenarios but six fields appeared among the top ten export fields in 95% of the scenarios, which shows the influence of site characteristics such as tile drains or soil properties in the catchment. Thus, the highest export fields were determined by a combination of site characteristics and substance characteristics. Therefore, despite the challenge of widely differing physico-chemical characteristics of pesticides on the market, these characteristics are an important consideration when delineating pesticide residue CSAs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M Gassmann
- Chair of Sustainable Chemistry and Material Resources, Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Lüneburg, Germany; Chair for Water Quality Management - Modelling and Simulation, University of Kassel, Kassel, Germany.
| | - O Olsson
- Chair of Sustainable Chemistry and Material Resources, Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Lüneburg, Germany
| | - C Stamm
- Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - M Weiler
- Chair of Hydrology, University of Freiburg, Germany
| | - K Kümmerer
- Chair of Sustainable Chemistry and Material Resources, Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Lüneburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Moschet C, Wittmer I, Simovic J, Junghans M, Piazzoli A, Singer H, Stamm C, Leu C, Hollender J. How a complete pesticide screening changes the assessment of surface water quality. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2014; 48:5423-32. [PMID: 24821647 DOI: 10.1021/es500371t] [Citation(s) in RCA: 227] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
A comprehensive assessment of pesticides in surface waters is challenging due to the large number of potential contaminants. Most scientific studies and routine monitoring programs include only 15-40 pesticides, which leads to error-prone interpretations. In the present study, an extensive analytical screening was carried out using liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry, covering 86% of all polar organic pesticides sold in Switzerland and applied to agricultural or urban land (in total 249 compounds), plus 134 transformation products; each of which could be quantified in the low ng/L range. Five medium-sized rivers, containing large areas of diverse crops and urban settlements within the respective catchments, were sampled between March and July 2012. More than 100 parent compounds and 40 transformation products were detected in total, between 30 and 50 parent compounds in each two-week composite sample in concentrations up to 1500 ng/L. The sum of pesticide concentrations was above 1000 ng/L in 78% of samples. The chronic environmental quality standard was exceeded for 19 single substances; using a mixture toxicity approach, exceedances occurred over the whole measurement period in all rivers. With scenario calculations including only 30-40 frequently measured pesticides, the number of detected substances and the mixture toxicity would be underestimated on average by a factor of 2. Thus, selecting a subset of substances to assess the surface water quality may be sufficient, but a comprehensive screening yields substantially more confidence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Moschet
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology , 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
15
|
Reemtsma T, Alder L, Banasiak U. Emerging pesticide metabolites in groundwater and surface water as determined by the application of a multimethod for 150 pesticide metabolites. WATER RESEARCH 2013; 47:5535-45. [PMID: 23863396 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2013.06.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2013] [Revised: 06/11/2013] [Accepted: 06/15/2013] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
A recently developed multimethod for the determination of 150 pesticide metabolites was exemplarily applied to 58 samples of groundwater and surface water. 37 of these metabolites were detected in at least two samples with a concentration ≥0.025 μg/L. The detected metabolites were ranked according to their concentration and frequency of detection. Findings are clearly dominated by metabolites of chloroacetanilide herbicides, but metabolites of sulfonylurea and thiocarbamate herbicides and other herbicides (dichlobenil) together with metabolites of some fungicides (tolylfluanid, chlorothalonil, trifloxystrobin) were also prominent. A number of 17 of the ranked metabolites are denoted as emerging metabolites because no reports on their previous detection in groundwater or surface water were found. Most of them, however, were correctly predicted to occur in the summary reports of the European pesticide approval process. Median total concentrations of the analysed pesticide metabolites summed up to 0.62 μg/L in groundwater and 0.33 μg/L in surface waters. While the concentration of the individual metabolites is usually low (<0.1 μg/L) the diversity of metabolites found in one sample can be large; between two and six metabolites were detected most frequently (maximum of 12 metabolites). Runoff from urban surfaces was investigated in this study and also here previously undetected pesticide (biocide) metabolites were detected. The emerging pesticide metabolites detected in environmental water samples in this study require more extended monitoring.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thorsten Reemtsma
- Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Department Chemicals Safety, Max-Dohrn-Str. 8-10, 10589 Berlin, Germany; Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
16
|
Meyer AH, Elsner M. 13C/12C and 15N/14N isotope analysis to characterize degradation of atrazine: evidence from parent and daughter compound values. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2013; 47:6884-6891. [PMID: 23627882 DOI: 10.1021/es305242q] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Atrazine (Atz) and its metabolite desethylatrazine (DEA) frequently occur in the environment. Conclusive interpretation of their transformation is often difficult. This study explored evidence from (13)C/(12)C and (15)N/(14)N isotope trends in parent and daughter compounds when Atz was dealkylated by (i) permanganate and (ii) the bacterium Rhodococcus sp. NI86/21. In both transformations, (13)C/(12)C ratios of atrazine increased strongly (ε(carbon/permanganate) = -4.6 ± 0.6‰ and ε(carbon/Rhodoccoccus) = -3.8 ± 0.2‰), whereas nitrogen isotope fractionation was small. (13)C/(12)C ratios of DEA showed the following trends. (i) When DEA was formed as the only product (Atz + permanganate), (13)C/(12)C remained constant, close to the initial value of Atz, because the carbon atoms involved in the reaction step are not present in DEA. (ii) When DEA was formed together with desisopropylatrazine (biodegradation of Atz), (13)C/(12)C increased but only within 2‰. (iii) When DEA was further biodegraded, (13)C/(12)C increased by up to 9‰ giving strong testimony of the metabolite's breakdown. Two lines of evidence emerge. (a) Enrichment of (13)C/(12)C in DEA, compared to initial Atz, may contain evidence of further DEA degradation. (b) Dual element ((15)N/(14)N versus (13)C/(12)C) isotope plots for dealkylation of atrazine agree with indirect photodegradation but differ from direct photolysis and biotic hydrolysis. Trends in multielement isotope data of atrazine may, therefore, decipher different degradation pathways.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Armin H Meyer
- Institute of Groundwater Ecology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstädter Landstraße 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | | |
Collapse
|
17
|
Howard PH, Muir DCG. Identifying new persistent and bioaccumulative organics among chemicals in commerce. III: byproducts, impurities, and transformation products. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2013; 47:5259-66. [PMID: 23594256 DOI: 10.1021/es4004075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
The goal of this series of studies was to identify commercial chemicals that might be persistent and bioaccumulative (PB) and that were not being considered in current wastewater and aquatic environmental measurement programs. In this study, we focus on chemicals that are not on commercial chemical lists such as U.S. EPA's Inventory Update Rule but may be found as byproducts or impurities in commercial chemicals or are likely transformation products from commercial chemical use. We evaluated the 610 chemicals from our earlier publication as well as high production volume chemicals and identified 320 chemicals (39 byproducts and impurities, and 281 transformation products) that could be potential PB chemicals. Four examples are discussed in detail; these chemicals had a fair amount of information on the commercial synthesis and byproducts and impurities that might be found in the commercial product. Unfortunately for many of the 610 chemicals, as well as the transformation products, little or no information was available. Use of computer-aided software to predict the transformation pathways in combination with the biodegradation rules of thumb and some basic organic chemistry has allowed 281 potential PB transformation products to be suggested for some of the 610 commercial chemicals; more PB transformation products were not selected since microbial degradation often results in less persistent and less bioaccumulative metabolites.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Philip H Howard
- SRC, Inc. Defense and Environmental Solutions, 7502 Round Pond Road, North Syracuse, New York 13212, United States.
| | | |
Collapse
|
18
|
Reemtsma T, Alder L, Banasiak U. A multimethod for the determination of 150 pesticide metabolites in surface water and groundwater using direct injection liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. J Chromatogr A 2013; 1271:95-104. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2012.11.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2012] [Revised: 11/07/2012] [Accepted: 11/12/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
|
19
|
Masiá A, Ibáñez M, Blasco C, Sancho J, Picó Y, Hernández F. Combined use of liquid chromatography triple quadrupole mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry in systematic screening of pesticides and other contaminants in water samples. Anal Chim Acta 2013; 761:117-27. [DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2012.11.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2012] [Revised: 10/16/2012] [Accepted: 11/18/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
|
20
|
Richardson SD. Environmental Mass Spectrometry: Emerging Contaminants and Current Issues. Anal Chem 2011; 84:747-78. [DOI: 10.1021/ac202903d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 258] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Susan D. Richardson
- National Exposure Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Athens, Georgia 30605, United States
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Escher BI, Fenner K. Recent advances in environmental risk assessment of transformation products. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2011; 45:3835-47. [PMID: 21473617 DOI: 10.1021/es1030799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 272] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
When micropollutants degrade in the environment, they may form persistent and toxic transformation products, which should be accounted for in the environmental risk assessment of the parent compounds. Transformation products have become a topic of interest not only with regard to their formation in the environment, but also during advanced water treatment processes, where disinfection byproducts can form from benign precursors. In addition, environmental risk assessment of human and veterinary pharmaceuticals requires inclusion of human metabolites as most pharmaceuticals are not excreted into wastewater in their original form, but are extensively metabolized. All three areas have developed their independent approaches to assess the risk associated with transformation product formation including hazard identification, exposure assessment, hazard assessment including dose-response characterization, and risk characterization. This review provides an overview and defines a link among those areas, emphasizing commonalities and encouraging a common approach. We distinguish among approaches to assess transformation products of individual pollutants that are undergoing a particular transformation process, e.g., biotransformation or (photo)oxidation, and approaches with the goal of prioritizing transformation products in terms of their contribution to environmental risk. We classify existing approaches for transformation product assessment in degradation studies as exposure- or effect-driven. In the exposure-driven approach, transformation products are identified and quantified by chemical analysis followed by effect assessment. In the effect-driven approach, a reaction mixture undergoes toxicity testing. If the decrease in toxicity parallels the decrease of parent compound concentration, the transformation products are considered to be irrelevant, and only when toxicity increases or the decrease is not proportional to the parent compound concentration are the TPs identified. For prioritization of transformation products in terms of their contribution to overall environmental risk, we integrate existing research into a coherent model-based, risk-driven framework. In the proposed framework, read-across from data of the parent compound to the transformation products is emphasized, but limitations to this approach are also discussed. Most prominently, we demonstrate how effect data for parent compounds can be used in combination with analysis of toxicophore structures and bioconcentration potential to facilitate transformation product effect assessment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Beate I Escher
- The University of Queensland, National Research Centre for Environmental Toxicology (Entox), Brisbane, Qld 4108, Australia.
| | | |
Collapse
|