Formation and fate of bound residues from microbial biomass during 2,4-D degradation in soil

Nitrogen-fertilizer addition to an agricultural soil enhances biogenic non-extractable residue formation from 2-13C,15N-glyphosate

Glyphosate and nitrogen (N) or (P) phosphorus fertilizers are often applied in combination to agricultural fields. The additional P or N supply to microorganisms might drive glyphosate degradation towards sarcosine/glycine or aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), and consequently determine the speciation of non-extractable residues (NERs): harmless biogenic NERs (bioNERs) or potentially hazardous xenobiotic NERs (xenoNERs). We therefore investigated the effect of P or N-fertilizers on microbial degradation of glyphosate and bioNER formation in an agricultural soil. Four different treatments were incubated at 20 °C for 75 days as follows; I: no fertilizer (2-13C,15N-glyphosate only, control), II: P-fertilizer (superphosphate + 2-13C,15N-glyphosate, effect of P-supply), III: N-fertilizer (ammonium nitrate + 2-13C,15N-glyphosate, effect of N-supply) and IV: 15N-fertilizer (15N-ammonium nitrate + 2-13C-glyphosate, differentiation between microbial assimilations of 15N: 15N-fertilizer versus 15N-glyphosate). We quantified 13C or 15N in mineralization, extractable residues, NERs and in amino acids (AAs). At the end, mineralization (36-41 % of the 13C), extractable 2-13C,15N-glyphosate/2-13C-glyphosate (0.42-0.49 %) & 15N-AMPA (1.2 %), and 13C/15N-NERs (40-43 % of the 13C, 40-50 % of the 15N) were comparable among treatments. Contrastingly, the 15N-NERs from 15N-fertlizer amounted to only 6.6 % of the 15N. Notably, N-fertilizer promoted an incorporation of 13C/15N from 2-13C,15N-glyphosate into AAs and thus the formation of 13C/15N-bioNERs. The 13C/15N-AAs were as follows: 16-21 % (N-fertilizer) > 11-13 % (control) > 7.2-7.3 % (P-fertilizer) of the initially added isotope. 2-13C,15N-glyphosate was degraded via the sarcosine/glycine and AMPA simultaneously in all treatments, regardless of the treatment type. The percentage share of bioNERs within the NERs in the N-fertilized soil was highest (13C: 80-82 %, 15N: 100 %) compared to 53 % (13C & 15N, control) and to only 30 % (13C & 15N, P-fertilizer). We thus concluded simultaneous N & glyphosate addition to soils could be beneficial for the environment due to the enhanced bioNER formation, while P & glyphosate application disadvantageous since it promoted xenoNER formation.

A magnetic molecular imprinting-based fluorescence probe for sensitive and selective detection of 2,4-D herbicide

A new magnetic molecular imprinting-based turn-on fluorescence probe (Fe3 O4 NPs@SiO2 @NBD@MIPs) has been synthesized via a facile sol-gel polymerization for the detection of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). Based on the photoinduced electron transfer (PET) of nitrobenzoxadiazole (NBD), 2,4-D can be recognized by enhancement of NBD fluorescence. With the presence of Fe3 O4 in the core of the probe, this sensor can also be reused many times using magnetic aggregation methods. After the addition of various concentrations of 2,4-D, the fluorescence peak at 530 nm (excitation of 468 nm) increased linearly ranging from 0.1 to 3 μM with a detection limit of 0.023 μM. This sensing system is believed to be available for detecting 2,4-D in real samples, with high recovery rates ranging from 94% to 108% for three spike levels of 2,4-D with precisions below 5%.

Low-temperature thermally enhanced bioremediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-contaminated soil: Effects on fate, toxicity and bacterial communities

Remediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-contaminated soil using thermal desorption technology typically requires very high temperatures, necessitating coupled microbial treatment for energy and cost reduction. This study investigated the fate and toxicity of PAHs as well as the responses of microbial communities following thermal treatment within a low temperature range. The optimal temperature for PAH mineralization was 20-28 °C, within the growth range of most mesophilic microorganisms. By contrast, 50 °C treatment almost completely inhibited PAH mineralization but resulted in the greatest detoxification effect particularly for cardiotoxicity and nephrotoxicity. A potential increase in toxicity was observed at 28 °C. Co-metabolism and non-extractable residue formation may play an interdependent role in thermally enhanced bioremediation. Moreover, alterations in bacterial communities were strongly associated with PAH mineralization and zebrafish toxicity, revealing that soil microorganisms play a direct role in PAH mineralization and served as ecological receptors reflecting changes in toxicity. Network analysis revealed that Firmicutes formed specific ecological communities at high temperature, whereas Acidobacteria and Proteobacteria act as primary PAH degraders at moderate temperature. These findings will enable better integration of strategies for thermal and microbial treatments in soil remediation.

Improved Assessment of Soil Nonextractable Residues of the Pyrethroid Insecticide Cyphenothrin

The metabolic fate of pyrethroid insecticide cyphenothrin (1) [(RS)-α-cyano-3-phenoxybenzyl (1RS)-cis-trans-2,2-dimethyl-3-(2-methylprop-1-enyl)cyclopropanecarboxylate] in soils was investigated using ¹⁴C-labeled (1R)-cis/trans isomers at the cyclopropane ring. Both isomers degraded with half-lives of 19.0-47.4 days, and 48.9-56.0% and 27.5-38.7% of the applied radioactivity (AR) were mineralized to CO₂ and incorporated into nonextractable residues (NER), respectively, after 120 days at 20 °C. NER analyses revealed 37.5-42.2% (cis-1) and 44.9-54.1% (trans-1) of each residue at 30/120 days were comprised of ¹⁴C-amino acids (AAs) as microbial products. Assuming that 50% of microbial biomass is AAs, it was estimated that 11.3-22.9%AR (cis-1, 75.0-84.4% of NER) and 13.9-30.4%AR (trans-1, 89.8-108.2% of NER) were nonhazardous biogenic NER (bio-NER), while type I/II xenobiotic NER (xeno-NER) characterized by silylation was insignificant at 0.9-1.0%/2.8-3.3%AR (cis-1). Detailed ¹⁴C-AA quantitation indicated a high relevance of the tricarboxylic acid cycle and pyruvate pathway during bio-NER formation, offering new insights into the microbial assimilation of the chrysanthemic moiety.

Soil drying legacy does not affect phenanthrene fate in soil but modifies bacterial community response

Alteration of the structure of soil microbial communities following the elimination of hydrophobic organic pollutants (e.g., polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, PAHs) is generally assessed using DNA-based techniques, and soil is often required to dry prior to pollutant addition, to facilitate a better mix when establishing microcosms. However, the drying practice may have a legacy effect on soil microbial community structure, which would in turn influence the biodegradation process. Here, we used ¹⁴C-labeled phenanthrene to examine the potential side effects of precedent short-term drought events. The results indicate that the drying practice had legacy effects on soil microbial community structure, illustrated by irreversible shifts in the communities. The legacy effects had no significant impact on phenanthrene mineralization and non-extractable residue formation. However, they altered the response of bacterial communities to PAH degradation, leading to a decrease in the abundance of potential PAH degradation genes plausibly attributed to moderately abundant taxa. Based on a comparison of the varied effects of different drying intensity levels, an accurate description of microbial responses to phenanthrene degradation strongly relies on the establishment of stable microbial communities before PAH amendment. Concurrent alterations in the communities resulting from environmental perturbation could greatly mask minor alterations from the degradation of recalcitrant hydrophobic PAH. In practice, to minimize the legacy effects, a soil equilibration step with a reduced drying intensity is indispensable.

Improved closed test setup for biodegradation testing of slightly volatile substances in water-sediment systems (OECD 308)

Standardized biodegradation testing methods, like the OECD 308 Aerobic and Anaerobic Transformation in Aquatic Sediment Systems, generate data on biodegradation required during environmental risk and hazard assessment of chemicals under different European and international regulations. However, difficulties arise when applying the OECD 308 guideline for testing hydrophobic volatile chemicals. Especially the use of a co-solvent (like acetone) as a measure to facilitate the application of the test chemical in combination with a closed setup to reduce losses due to volatilization tend to deplete/restrict the amount of oxygen in the test system. The result is a low oxygen or even anoxic water column in the water-sediment system. Thus, the degradation half-lives of the chemical generated from such tests are not directly comparable to the regulatory half-life values for Persistence assessment of the test chemical. The aim of this work was to further develop the closed setup to improve and maintain aerobic conditions in the water phase of the water-sediment systems for testing slightly volatile hydrophobic test chemicals. This improvement was attained by optimizing the test system geometry and agitation technique to maintain aerobic conditions in the water phase in a closed test setup, investigating appropriate co-solvent application strategy, and trialing the resulting test setup. This study shows that when using a closed test setup for OECD 308 tests, agitation of the water phase overlaying the sediment and the test item application using low co-solvent volume is critical for maintaining an aerobic water layer.

Fate of glyphosate and its degradation products AMPA, glycine and sarcosine in an agricultural soil: Implications for environmental risk assessment

Glyphosate can be biodegraded via the aminomethylphosponic acid (AMPA) and the sarcosine/glycine pathway leading to the formation of three intermediate products AMPA, sarcosine or glycine. The fate of the three intermediate compounds of glyphosate biodegradation including nature of non-extractable residues (NERs; harmless biogenic [NERs_biogenic] versus hazardous xenobiotic [NERs_xenobiotic]) in soils has not been investigated yet. This information is crucial for an assessment of environmental risks related to the speciation of glyphosate-derived NERs which may stem from glyphosate intermediates. Therefore, we incubated ¹³C- and ¹⁵N-labeled glyphosate (2-¹³C,¹⁵N-glyphosate) and its degradation product AMPA (¹³C,¹⁵N-AMPA), sarcosine (¹³C₃,¹⁵N-sarcosine) or glycine (¹³C₂,¹⁵N-glycine) in an agricultural soil separately for a period of 75 days. ¹³C₂-glycine and ¹³C₃-sarcosine mineralized rapidly compared to 2-¹³C-glyphosate and ¹³C-AMPA. The mineralization of ¹³C-AMPA was lowest among all four compounds due to its persistent nature. Only 0.5% of the initially added 2-¹³C,¹⁵N-glyphosate and still about 30% of the initially added ¹³C,¹⁵N-AMPA was extracted from soil after 75 days. The NERs formed from ¹³C,¹⁵N-AMPA were mostly NERs_xenobiotic as compared to other three compounds for which significant amounts of NERs_biogenic were determined. We noticed 2-¹³C,¹⁵N-glyphosate was biodegraded via two biodegradation pathways simultaneously; however, the sarcosine/glycine pathway with the formation of harmless NERs_biogenic presumably dominated.

Scientific concepts and methods for moving persistence assessments into the 21st century

The evaluation of a chemical substance's persistence is key to understanding its environmental fate, exposure concentration, and, ultimately, environmental risk. Traditional biodegradation test methods were developed many years ago for soluble, nonvolatile, single-constituent test substances, which do not represent the wide range of manufactured chemical substances. In addition, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) screening and simulation test methods do not fully reflect the environmental conditions into which substances are released and, therefore, estimates of chemical degradation half-lives can be very uncertain and may misrepresent real environmental processes. In this paper, we address the challenges and limitations facing current test methods and the scientific advances that are helping to both understand and provide solutions to them. Some of these advancements include the following: (1) robust methods that provide a deeper understanding of microbial composition, diversity, and abundance to ensure consistency and/or interpret variability between tests; (2) benchmarking tools and reference substances that aid in persistence evaluations through comparison against substances with well-quantified degradation profiles; (3) analytical methods that allow quantification for parent and metabolites at environmentally relevant concentrations, and inform on test substance bioavailability, biochemical pathways, rates of primary versus overall degradation, and rates of metabolite formation and decay; (4) modeling tools that predict the likelihood of microbial biotransformation, as well as biochemical pathways; and (5) modeling approaches that allow for derivation of more generally applicable biotransformation rate constants, by accounting for physical and/or chemical processes and test system design when evaluating test data. We also identify that, while such advancements could improve the certainty and accuracy of persistence assessments, the mechanisms and processes by which they are translated into regulatory practice and development of new OECD test guidelines need improving and accelerating. Where uncertainty remains, holistic weight of evidence approaches may be required to accurately assess the persistence of chemicals. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2022;18:1454-1487. © 2022 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).

Microcosm test for pesticide fate assessment in planted water filters: 13C,15N-labeled glyphosate as an example

Planted filters are often used to remove pesticides from runoff water. However, the detailed fate of pesticides in the planted filters still remains elusive. This hampers an accurate assessment of environmental risks of the pesticides related to their fate and thereby development of proper mitigation strategies. In addition, a test system for the chemical fate analysis including plants and in particular for planted filters is not well established yet. Therefore, we developed a microcosm test to simulate the fate of pesticide in planted filters, and applied 2-¹³C,¹⁵N-glyphosate as a model pesticide. The fate of 2-¹³C,¹⁵N-glyphosate in the planted microcosms over 31 day-incubation period was balanced and compared with that in the unplanted microcosms. The mass balance of 2-¹³C,¹⁵N-glyphosate turnover included ¹³C mineralization, degradation products, and the ¹³C and ¹⁵N incorporation into the rhizosphere microbial biomass and plants. We observed high removal of glyphosate (> 88%) from the water mainly due to adsorption on gravel in both microcosms. More glyphosate was degraded in the planted microcosms with 4.1% of ¹³C being mineralized, 1.5% of ¹³C and 3.8% of ¹⁵N being incorporated into microbial biomass. In the unplanted microcosms, 1.1% of ¹³C from 2-¹³C,¹⁵N-glyphosate was mineralized, and only 0.2% of ¹³C and 0.1% of ¹⁵N were assimilated into microbial biomass. The total recovery of ¹³C and ¹⁵N was 81% and 85% in planted microcosms, and 91% and 93% in unplanted counterparts, respectively. The microcosm test was thus proven to be feasible for mass balance assessments of the fate of non-volatile chemicals in planted filters. The results of such studies could help better manage and design planted filters for pesticide removal.

Biodegradation of poly(butylene succinate) in soil laboratory incubations assessed by stable carbon isotope labelling

Using biodegradable instead of conventional plastics in agricultural applications promises to help overcome plastic pollution of agricultural soils. However, analytical limitations impede our understanding of plastic biodegradation in soils. Utilizing stable carbon isotope (¹³C-)labelled poly(butylene succinate) (PBS), a synthetic polyester, we herein present an analytical approach to continuously quantify PBS mineralization to ¹³CO₂ during soil incubations and, thereafter, to determine non-mineralized PBS-derived ¹³C remaining in the soil. We demonstrate extensive PBS mineralization (65 % of added ¹³C) and a closed mass balance on PBS−¹³C over 425 days of incubation. Extraction of residual PBS from soils combined with kinetic modeling of the biodegradation data and results from monomer (i.e., butanediol and succinate) mineralization experiments suggest that PBS hydrolytic breakdown controlled the overall PBS biodegradation rate. Beyond PBS biodegradation in soil, the presented methodology is broadly applicable to investigate biodegradation of other biodegradable polymers in various receiving environments.

This study applies stable carbon isotope labelling to study polymer biodegradation in soils. This labelling enables accurate and precise tracking of polymer carbon during biodegradation and, thereby, provides a holistic picture of this process.

Microbial community composition and glyphosate degraders of two soils under the influence of temperature, total organic carbon and pH

Glyphosate can be degraded by soil microorganisms rapidly and is impacted by temperature and soil properties. Enhanced temperature and total organic carbon (TOC) as well as reduced pH increased the rate of 13C315N-glyphosate conversion to CO2 and biogenic non-extractable residues (bioNERs) in a Haplic Chernozem (Muskus et al., 2019) and in a Humic Cambisol (Muskus et al., 2020). To date; however, the combined effect of temperature and TOC or pH on microbial community composition and glyphosate degraders in these two soils has not been investigated. Phospholipid fatty acid [PLFA] biomarker analysis combined with 13C labeling was employed to investigate the effect of two soil properties (pH, TOC) and of three temperatures (10 °C, 20 °C, 30 °C) on soil microorganisms. Before incubation, the properties of a Haplic Chernozem and a Humic Cambisol were adjusted to obtain five treatments: (a) Control (Haplic Chernozem: 2.1% TOC and pH 6.6; Humic Cambisol: 3% TOC and pH 7.0), (b) 3% TOC (Haplic Chernozem) or 4% TOC (Humic Cambisol), (c) 4% TOC (Haplic Chernozem) or 5% TOC (Humic Cambisol), (d) pH 6.0 (Haplic Chernozem) or pH 6.5 (Humic Cambisol), and (e) pH 5.5 for both soils. All treatments were amended with 50 mg kg-1 glyphosate and incubated at 10 °C, 20 °C or 30 °C. We observed an increase in respiration, microbial biomass and glyphosate mineralization with incubation temperature. Although respiration and microbial biomass in the Humic Cambisol was higher, the microorganisms in the Haplic Chernozem were more active in glyphosate degradation. Increased TOC shifted the microbiome and the 13C-glyphosate degraders towards Gram-positive bacteria in both soils. However, the abundance of 13C-PLFAs indicative for the starvation of Gram-negative bacteria increased with increasing TOC or decreasing pH at higher temperatures. Gram-negative bacteria thus may have been involved in earlier stages of glyphosate degradation.

The Adsorption and Degradation of 2, 4-D Affected by Soil Organic Carbon and Clay

More has yet to be indicated on the adsorption and degradation processes, determining herbicides recycling in the environment. The sorption and degradation of 2, 4-D, affected by organic carbon (1.92-2.81%), soil clay (20-30%) and pH of the citrus orchards of Mazandaran province, Iran was investigated using HPLC equipped with UV detector for the identification and quantification of soil 2, 4-D. The adsorption (k_d) and degradation (K_deg) coefficients were determined using Freundlich and the first-degree kinetic equations. Gardens C (2.45 mL g^-1), and B (0.3 mL g^-1), with the highest (8.2 g day^-1) and least (2.7 g day^-1) degradation coefficients, had the highest and lowest K_d values. K_d variations with pH indicated higher adsorption of 2, 4-D in acidic pH. Due to the high presence of functional groups and soil biological activities, organic carbon affected the adsorption and degradation rates more effectively, which is of economic and environmental significance.

Degradation, transformation, and non-extractable residue formation of nitrated nonylphenol isomers in an oxic soil

Nitrated nonylphenols (NNPs) are main metabolites of the endocrine-disrupting nonylphenols in soil, yet their fate is unknown. Here, using four NNP isomers (NNP₁₁₁, NNP₁₁₂, NNP₆₅, and NNP₃₈), the degradation pattern of NNPs was investigated in an oxic soil for 266 days. Specifically, NNP₁₁₁ was ¹⁴C-labeled to facilitate investigating its degradation, transformation, and non-extractable residue (NER) formation. NNPs degradation was isomer-specific with the decreasing order of half-life: NNP₁₁₁ (126 days) > NNP₁₁₂ (76 days) > NNP₆₅ (14 days) > NNP₃₈ (8.4 days), providing direct evidence of the greater persistence of NNPs in soil than their parent NPs. At the end of the incubation, 8.5 %, 7.3 %, and 39.9 % of ¹⁴C-NNP₁₁₁ was mineralized, transformed to 2-amino-NP₁₁₁, and formed NERs in active soil, respectively. In contrast, NERs in sterilized soils were significantly lower, amounting to 15.1 % and 17.3 % in autoclaved and γ-irradiated soil, respectively. The majority of the NERs (>70 %) were in humin fraction, in which type I NER was the predominant (>90 %) mode for NER formation. Our results provide comprehensive knowledge on the fate of NNPs in soil, demonstrating that isomer-specific behavior, transformation products of NNPs, and NER formation should be considered when evaluating environmental fate and risks of NNPs.

Long-Term Field Study on Fate, Transformation, and Vertical Transport of Tetrabromobisphenol A in Soil-Plant Systems

Soil contamination with tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) has been an environmental concern for many years, but in situ studies of the fate and potential risk of TBBPA are lacking. In this study, we investigated the dissipation, metabolism, strong alkali-hydrolytic (SAH-TBBPA), and vertical movement of TBBPA in the field with and without rice-wheat rotation and reed growth for 1225 days. After 342 days of incubation, 21.3% of the TBBPA remained in the surface soil accompanied by obvious leaching to deeper soil layers in the first 92 days. By day 1225, TBBPA was nearly absent from the surface soil layer. A very low amount of SAH-TBBPA (2.31-3.43 mg/kg) was detected during the first 342 days of incubation. In the surface soil, five metabolites were identified that represented four interconnected pathways: oxidative skeletal cleavage, O-methylation, type II ipso-substitution, and reductive debromination. Both rice-wheat rotation and monocultural reed growth accelerated TBBPA removal in the field by stimulating the anaerobic debromination and aerobic O-methylation, especially the oxidative skeletal cleavage of TBBPA in the rhizosphere soil. Though far from comprehensive, our study investigated the natural attenuation and metabolism of TBBPA in situ and the influence by crops to estimate the environmental risk of TBBPA in a field scale.

Microbial activity and metamitron degrading microbial communities differ between soil and water-sediment systems

The herbicide metamitron is frequently detected in the environment, and its degradation in soil differs from that in aquatic sediments. In this study, we applied ¹³C₆-metamitron to investigate the differences in microbial activity, metamitron mineralization and metamitron degrading microbial communities between soil and water-sediment systems. Metamitron increased soil respiration, whereas it suppressed respiration in the water-sediment system as compared to controls. Metamitron was mineralized two-fold faster in soil than in the water-sediment. Incorporation of ¹³C from ¹³C₆-metamitron into Phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) was higher in soil than in sediment, suggesting higher activity of metamitron-degrading microorganisms in soil. During the accelerated mineralization of metamitron, biomarkers for Gram-negative, Gram-positive bacteria and actinobacteria dominated within the ¹³C-PLFAs in soil. Gram-negative bacteria dominated among the metamitron degraders in sediment throughout the incubation period. Actinobacteria, and actinobacteria and fungi were the main consumers of necromass of primary degraders in soil and water-sediment, respectively. This study clearly showed that microbial groups involved in metamitron degradation depend on the system (soil vs. water-sediment) and on time. It also indicated that the turnover of organic chemicals in complex environments is driven by different groups of synthropic degraders (primary degraders and necromass degraders) rather than by a single degrader.

Adsorption and degradation of the herbicide nicosulfuron in a stagnic Luvisol and Vermic Umbrisol cultivated under conventional or conservation agriculture

The main goals of conservation agriculture are to enhance soil fertility and reduce soil degradation, especially through erosion. However, conservation agriculture practices can increase the risk of contamination by pesticides, mainly through vertical transfer via water flow. Better understanding of their sorption and degradation processes is thus needed in conservation agriculture as they control the amount of pesticide available for vertical transfer. The purpose of our study was to investigate the sorption and degradation processes of nicosulfuron in soil profiles (up to 90 cm deep) of a Vermic Umbrisol and a Stagnic Luvisol managed either in conventional or in conservation agriculture. Two laboratory sorption and incubation experiments were performed. Low sorption was observed regardless of the soil type, agricultural management or depth, with a maximum value of 1.3 ± 2.0 L kg^-1. By the end of the experiment (91 days), nicosulfuron mineralisation in the Vermic Umbrisol was similar for the two types of agricultural management and rather depended on soil depth (29.0 ± 2.3% in the 0-60-cm layers against 7.5 ± 1.4% in the 60-90 cm). In the Stagnic Luvisol, nicosulfuron mineralisation reached similar value in every layer of the conservation agriculture plot (26.5% ± 0.7%). On the conventional tillage plot, mineralisation decreased in the deepest layer (25-60 cm) reaching only 18.4 ± 6.9% of the applied nicosulfuron. Regardless of the soil type or agricultural management, non-extractable residue formation was identified as the main dissipation process of nicosulfuron (45.1 ± 8.5% and 50.2 ± 7.0% under conventional and conservation agriculture respectively after 91 days). In our study, nicosulfuron behaved similarly in the Vermic Umbrisol regardless of the agricultural management, whereas the risk of transfer to groundwater seemed lower in the Stagnic Luvisol under conservation agriculture.

How important is abiotic dissipation in natural attenuation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soil?

Natural attenuation capacity, as one of the most important ecosystem functions in soil, plays a vital role in the detoxification of organic pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). However, despite the role of biodegradation is established, the contribution of abiotic dissipation to natural attenuation has long been overlooked. Herein, the abiotic dissipations of 16 types of PAHs in a past coking site and of anthracene (ANT) in various cultivated soils were studied. Results showed that the contributions of abiotic dissipation to the total attenuation were in a wide range from 11.8 to 99.7% depending on the types of PAHs. Specifically, abiotic dissipation is higher for heavy PAHs (68.3-99.7%) than for light PAHs (11.8-71.5%), with the exception of ANT (80.7%). Similarly, the contribution of abiotic dissipation to ANT attenuation ranged from 30.7 to 68.6% in eight soils. The abiotic dissipation rate of ANT followed the order of lateritic-red earth > gray-desery soil > coastal solonchaks > cumulated-irrigated soil > cinnamon soil > fluvo-aquic soil > purplish soil ~ yellow-brown earth, which was positively correlated with transition metal contents in soils. These findings demonstrated that the abiotic dissipation of PAHs is determined by both molecule properties and soil types. Overall, this work provided valuable insights into clarifying the roles of abiotic dissipation in PAH attenuation in soil.

Influence of chemical charge on the fate of organic chemicals in sediment particle size fractions

In order to investigate the influence of differently sized particle fractions on the fate of ionic chemicals in water-sediment systems, we performed simulation studies following OECD guideline 308. We used ¹⁴C-labelled anionic (4-n-dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid sodium salt, '¹⁴C-DS^-'), cationic (4-n-dodecylbenzyltrimethyl ammonium chloride, '¹⁴C-DA⁺') and non-ionic (4-n-dodecylphenol, '¹⁴C-DP') organic chemicals. The sediment was subjected to particle size fractionation. For each particle fraction and test compound, water-sediment systems were prepared and incubated for 14 days. Across all particle fractions, higher amounts of applied radioactivity (AR) of ¹⁴C-DS^- (in sand 60.1%, in silt 45.1%, in clay 57.0%) and of ¹⁴C-DP (sand: 31.8%, silt: 24.4%, clay: 29.2%) were mineralised compared to ¹⁴C-DA⁺ (sand: 5.1% AR, silt: 3.5% AR, clay: 2.4% AR). The highest bioavailability was observed for ¹⁴C-DS^- followed by ¹⁴C-DP and ¹⁴C-DA⁺ across all particle fractions. Formation of non-extractable residues (NER) of ¹⁴C-DS^- did not substantially differ between the particle fractions, whereas NER formation of ¹⁴C-DA⁺ was higher in the clay fraction (24.3% AR) than in silt (15.9% AR) and sand (8.4% AR). The same trend was observed for ¹⁴C-DP. We showed that differently sized particle fractions have an influence on the fate of ionic chemicals in water-sediment systems and conclude that this should be considered when simulation studies in soils and sediments with different textural compositions are performed. Since a positive charge of organic chemicals tends to form higher portions of NER in the clay fraction of sediments, these NER should be further investigated in terms of their nature and types of binding.

Gene-Centric Model Approaches for Accurate Prediction of Pesticide Biodegradation in Soils

Pesticides are widely used in agriculture despite their negative impact on ecosystems and human health. Biogeochemical modeling facilitates the mechanistic understanding of microbial controls on pesticide turnover in soils. We propose to inform models of coupled microbial dynamics and pesticide turnover with measurements of the abundance and expression of functional genes. To assess the advantages of informing models with genetic data, we developed a novel "gene-centric" model and compared model variants of differing structural complexity against a standard biomass-based model. The models were calibrated and validated using data from two batch experiments in which the degradation of the pesticides dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and 2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid (MCPA) were observed in soil. When calibrating against data on pesticide mineralization, the gene-centric and biomass-based models performed equally well. However, accounting for pesticide-triggered gene regulation allows improved performance in capturing microbial dynamics and in predicting pesticide mineralization. This novel modeling approach also reveals a hysteretic relationship between pesticide degradation rates and gene expression, implying that the biodegradation performance in soils cannot be directly assessed by measuring the expression of functional genes. Our gene-centric model provides an effective approach for exploiting molecular biology data to simulate pesticide degradation in soils.

Plant litter enhances degradation of the herbicide MCPA and increases formation of biogenic non-extractable residues in soil

Amendment of soils with plant residues is common practice for improving soil quality. In addition to stimulated microbial activity, the supply of fresh soluble organic (C) from litter may accelerate the microbial degradation of chemicals in soils. Therefore, the aim of this study was to test whether the maize litter enhances degradation of 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid (MCPA) and increases formation of non-toxic biogenic non-extractable residues (bioNERs). Soil was amended with ¹³C₆-MCPA and incubated with or without litter addition on the top. Three soil layers were sampled with increasing distance from the top: 0-2 mm, 2-5 mm and 5-20 mm; and the mass balance of ¹³C₆-MCPA transformation determined. Maize litter promoted microbial activity, mineralization of ¹³C₆-MCPA and bioNER formation in the upper two layers (0-2 and 2-5 mm). The mineralization of ¹³C₆-MCPA in soil with litter increased to 27% compared to only 6% in the control. Accordingly, maize addition reduced the amount of extractable residual MCPA in soil from 77% (control) to 35% of initially applied ¹³C₆-MCPA. While non-extractable residues (NERs) were <6% in control soil, litter addition raised NERs to 21%. Thereby, bioNERs comprised 14% of ¹³C₆-MCPA equivalents. We found characteristic differences of bioNER formation with distance to litter. While total NERs in soil at a distance of 2-5 mm were mostly identified as ¹³C-bioNERs (97%), only 45-46% of total NERs were assigned to bioNERs in the 0-2 and 5-20 mm layers. Phospholipid fatty acid analysis indicated that fungi and Gram-negative bacteria were mainly involved in MCPA degradation. Maize-C particularly stimulated fungal activity in the adjacent soil, which presumably facilitated non-biogenic NER formation. The plant litter accelerated formation of both non-toxic bioNERs and non-biogenic NERs. More studies on the structural composition of non-biogenic NERs with toxicity potential are needed for future recommendations on litter addition in agriculture.

Biodegradation of Pesticides at the Limit: Kinetics and Microbial Substrate Use at Low Concentrations

The objective of our study was to test whether limited microbial degradation at low pesticide concentrations could explain the discrepancy between overall degradability demonstrated in laboratory tests and their actual persistence in the environment. Studies on pesticide degradation are often performed using unrealistically high application rates seldom found in natural environments. Nevertheless, biodegradation rates determined for higher pesticide doses cannot necessarily be extrapolated to lower concentrations. In this context, we wanted to (i) compare the kinetics of pesticide degradation at different concentrations in arable land and (ii) clarify whether there is a concentration threshold below which the expression of the functional genes involved in the degradation pathway is inhibited without further pesticide degradation taking place. We set up an incubation experiment for four weeks using 14C-ring labeled 2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid (MCPA) as a model compound in concentrations from 30 to 20,000 μg kg^–1 soil. To quantify the abundance of putative microorganisms involved in MCPA degradation and their degradation activity, tfdA gene copy numbers (DNA) and transcripts (mRNA) were determined by quantitative real-time PCR. Mineralization dynamics of MCPA derived-C were analyzed by monitoring 14CO₂ production and 14C assimilation by soil microorganisms. We identified two different concentration thresholds for growth and activity with respect to MCPA degradation using tfdA gene and mRNA transcript abundance as growth and activity indices, respectively. The tfdA gene expression started to increase between 1,000 and 5,000 μg MCPA kg^–1 dry soil, but an actual increase in tfdA sequences could only be determined at a concentration of 20,000 μg. Accordingly, we observed a clear shift from catabolic to anabolic utilization of MCPA-derived C in the concentration range of 1,000 to 5,000 μg kg^–1. Concentrations ≥1,000 μg kg^–1 were mainly associated with delayed mineralization, while concentrations ≤1,000 μg kg^–1 showed rapid absolute dissipation. The persistence of pesticides at low concentrations cannot, therefore, be explained by the absence of functional gene expression. Nevertheless, significant differences in the degradation kinetics of MCPA between low and high pesticide concentrations illustrate the need for studies investigating pesticide degradation at environmentally relevant concentrations.

Degradation of glyphosate in a Colombian soil is influenced by temperature, total organic carbon content and pH

Glyphosate is one of the most used herbicides in the world. The fate of glyphosate in tropical soils may be different from that in soils from temperate regions. In particular, the amounts and types of non-extractable residues (NER) may differ considerably, resulting in different relative contributions of xenoNER (sorbed and sequestered parent compound) and bioNER (biomass residues of degraders). In addition, environmental conditions and agricultural practices leading to total organic carbon (TOC) or pH variation can alter the degradation of glyphosate. The aim of this study is thus to investigate how the glyphosate degradation and turnover are influenced by varying temperature, pH and TOC of sandy loam soil from Colombia. The pH or TOC of a Colombian soil was modified to yield five treatments: control (pH 7.0, TOC 3%), 4% TOC, 5% TOC, pH 6.5, and pH 5.5. Each treatment received 50 mg kg-1 of 13C315N-glyphosate and was incubated at 10 °C, 20 °C and 30 °C for 40 days. Rising temperature increased the mineralization of 13C315N-glyphosate from 13 to 20% (10 °C) to 32-39% (20 °C) and 41-51% (30 °C) and decreased the amounts of extractable 13C315N-glyphosate after 40 days of incubation from 13 to 26% (10 °C) to 4.6-12% (20 °C) and 1.2-3.2% (30 °C). Extractable 13C315N-glyphosate increased with higher TOC and higher pH. Total 13C-NER were similar in all treatments and at all temperatures (47%-60%), indicating that none of the factors studied affected the amount of total 13C-NER. However, 13C-bioNER dominated within the 13C-NER pool in the control and the 4% TOC treatment (76-88% of total 13C-NER at 20 °C and 30 °C), whereas in soil with 5% TOC and pH 6.5 or 5.5 13C-bioNER were lower (47-61% at 20 °C and 30 °C). In contrast, the 15N-bioNER pool was small (between 14 and 39% of the 15N-NER). Thus, more than 60% of 15N-NER is potentially hazardous xenobiotic NER which need careful attention in the future.

Polymerization of micropollutants in natural aquatic environments: A review

Micropollutants with high ecotoxicological risks are frequently detected in aquatic environments, which has aroused great concern in recent years. Humification is one of the most important natural detoxification processes of aquatic micropollutants, and the core reactions of this process are polymerization and coupling. During humification, micropollutants are incorporated into the macrostructures of humic substances and precipitated from aqueous systems into sediments. However, the similarities and differences among the polymerization/coupling pathways of micropollutants in different oxidative systems have not been systematically summarized in a review. This article reviews the current knowledge on the weak oxidation-induced spontaneous polymerization/coupling transformation of micropollutants. First, four typical weak oxidative conditions for the initiation of micropollutant polymerization reactions in aquatic environments are compared: enzymatic catalysis, biomimetic catalysis, metal oxide oxidation, and photo-initiated oxidation. Second, three major subsequent spontaneous transformation pathways of micropollutants are elucidated: radical polymerization, nucleophilic addition/substitution and cyclization. Different solution conditions are also summarized. Furthermore, the importance of toxicity evolution during the weak oxidation-induced coupling/polymerization of micropollutants is particularly emphasized. This review provides a new perspective for the transformation mechanism and pathways of micropollutants from aquatic systems into sediments and the atmosphere and offers theoretical support for developing micropollutant control technologies.

Quantitative assessment of microbial necromass contribution to soil organic matter

Soil carbon transformation and sequestration have received significant interest in recent years due to a growing need for quantitating its role in mitigating climate change. Even though our understanding of the nature of soil organic matter has recently been substantially revised, fundamental uncertainty remains about the quantitative importance of microbial necromass as part of persistent organic matter. Addressing this uncertainty has been hampered by the absence of quantitative assessments whether microbial matter makes up the majority of the persistent carbon in soil. Direct quantitation of microbial necromass in soil is very challenging because of an overlapping molecular signature with nonmicrobial organic carbon. Here, we use a comprehensive analysis of existing biomarker amino sugar data published between 1996 and 2018, combined with novel appropriation using an ecological systems approach, elemental carbon-nitrogen stoichiometry, and biomarker scaling, to demonstrate a suit of strategies for quantitating the contribution of microbe-derived carbon to the topsoil organic carbon reservoir in global temperate agricultural, grassland, and forest ecosystems. We show that microbial necromass can make up more than half of soil organic carbon. Hence, we suggest that next-generation field management requires promoting microbial biomass formation and necromass preservation to maintain healthy soils, ecosystems, and climate. Our analyses have important implications for improving current climate and carbon models, and helping develop management practices and policies.

Formation, classification and identification of non-extractable residues of 14C-labelled ionic compounds in soil

The influence of an ionic functional group on the fate of chemicals in the environment, especially the formation of non-extractable residues (NER), has not been systematically investigated. Using 4-n-dodecylphenol[phenylring-¹⁴C(U)], 4-n-dodecylbenzenesulfonicacid[phenylring-¹⁴C(U)] sodiumsalt (¹⁴C-DS^-) and 4-n-dodecylbenzyltrimethylammoniumchloride[phenylring-¹⁴C(U)] (¹⁴C-DA⁺) all with a high structural similarity, the formation, classification and identification of NER of negatively (¹⁴C-DS^-), positively (¹⁴C-DA⁺) and uncharged (¹⁴C-DP) chemicals were investigated in a sterilized and non-sterilized soil. After 84 days of incubation in non-sterile soil, 40.6%, 21.7% and 33.5% of the applied radioactivity (AR) of ¹⁴C-DP, ¹⁴C-DS^- and ¹⁴C-DA⁺, respectively, were converted to NER. In contrast, in sterile soil NER formation was markedly lower. The NER were further investigated with respect to sequestered, covalently bound and biogenic residues (i.e. NER types I, II, and III). Silylation of ¹⁴C-DP, ¹⁴C-DS^- and ¹⁴C-DA⁺ derived NER released 3.0-23.2% AR, indicating that these were sequestered, whereas the residual NER (12.9-33.1% AR) was covalently bound to the soil. Analysis of extracts derived by silylation showed that ¹⁴C-DP, but neither ¹⁴C-DS^- nor ¹⁴C-DA⁺, were released by silylation, suggesting that DP might be part of the sequestered NER. Acid hydrolysis of the NER containing soil and subsequent analysis of soil extracts for ¹⁴C-aminoacids indicated that 2.5-23.8% AR were biogenic residues. Most DP and DS^- derived NER were biogenically or covalently bound, whereas DA⁺ predominantly forms sequestered NER in soil. From these results we propose that chemicals forming high amounts of NER should be investigated regarding types I-III NER because sequestered parent compounds should be considered in persistence assessments.

Influence of 2,4-D residues on the soil microbial community and growth of tree species

The 2,4-D (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid) has low half-life in the soil, but it is capable of altering the soil microbial community. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of 2,4-D residues on the structure of the soil microbial community and the growth of tree species. The tolerance and phytoremediation potential of tree species were evaluated. The microbial analysis was performed by T-RFLP. The 2,4-D herbicide reduced the plant height of K. lathrophyton, number of leaves of C. ferrea and K. lathrophyton and root dry matter allocation for C. brasiliense, I. striata, P. heptaphyllum, and T. guianensis. Cucumis sativus intoxication on soil contaminated with 2,4-D was not significant. The structure of Fungi community in the rhizospheric soils of C. ferrea was altered. The herbicide 2,4-D increased the diversity of Fungi in rhizospheric soils of P. heptahyllum and R. grandis. Most tree species were tolerant, and the evaluation time was sufficient to remedy 2,4-D. The structures of the microbial communities Archaea, Bacteria, and Fungi were little influenced by 2,4-D. The diversity of the Archaea domain was not affected, the diversity of the Bacteria in Inga striata decreased while the fungi increased in Protium heptaphyllum and Richeria grandis with 2,4-D.

Influence of Flooding, Salinization, and Soil Properties on Degradation of Chlorantraniliprole in California Rice Field Soils

Chlorantraniliprole (3-bromo-N-[4-chloro-2-methyl-6-(methylcarbamoyl)phenyl]-1-(3-chloro-2-pyridine-2-yl)-1H-pyrazole-5-carboxamide; CAP) was granted supplemental registration for use in rice cultivation in California through December, 2018. Previous work investigated the partitioning of CAP in California rice field soils; however, its degradation in soils under conditions relevant to California rice culture has not been investigated. The degradation of CAP in soils from two California rice fields was examined under aerobic and anaerobic conditions with varying salinity via microcosm experiments. Results indicate that soil properties governing bioavailability may have a greater influence on degradation than flooding practices or field salinization over a typical growing season. Differences between native and autoclaved soils (t_1/2 = 59.0-100.2 and 78.5-171.7 days) suggest that biological processes were primarily responsible for CAP degradation; however, future work should be done to confirm specific biotic processes as well as to elucidate abiotic processes, such as degradation via manganese oxides and formation of nonextractable residues, which may contribute to its dissipation.

Microbial Turnover of Glyphosate to Biomass: Utilization as Nutrient Source and Formation of AMPA and Biogenic NER in an OECD 308 Test

Environmental fate assessment of chemicals involves standardized simulation tests with isotope-labeled molecules to balance transformation, mineralization, and formation of nonextractable residues (NER). Methods to predict microbial turnover and biogenic NER have been developed, having limited use when metabolites accumulate, the chemicals are not the only C source, or provide for other macroelements. To improve predictive capability, we extended a recently developed method for microbial growth yield estimation to account for incomplete degradation and multiple-element assimilation and combined it with a dynamic model for fate description in soils and sediments. We evaluated the results against the unique experimental data of 13C3-15N co-labeled glyphosate turnover with AMPA formation in water-sediment systems (OECD 308). Balancing 13C- and 15N- fluxes to biomass showed a pronounced shift of glyphosate transformation from full mineralization to AMPA formation. This may be explained by various hypotheses, for example, the limited substrate turnover inherent to the batch conditions of the test system causing microbial starvation or inhibition by P release. Modeling results indicate initial N overload due to the lower C/N ratio in glyphosate compared to average cell composition leading to subsequent C demand and accumulation of AMPA.

Influence of bacterial community composition and soil factors on the fate of phenanthrene and benzo[a]pyrene in three contrasting farmland soils

The fate of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) determines their potential risk in soil, which may be directly affected by abiotic conditions and indirectly through the changes in decomposer communities. In comparison, the indirect effects on the fate remain largely elusive. In this study, the fate of phenanthrene and benzo[a]pyrene and the corresponding bacterial changes were investigated in three contaminated farmland soils using a ¹⁴C tracer method and Miseq sequencing. The results showed that most benzo[a]pyrene was consistently extractable with dichloromethane (DCM) after the 60-day incubation (60.4%-78.2%), while phenanthrene was mainly mineralized to CO₂ during the 30-day incubation (40.4%-58.7%). Soils from Guangzhou (GZ) showed a different distribution pattern of ¹⁴C-PAHs exemplified by low mineralization and disparate bound residue formation. The PAH fate in the Shenyang (SY) and Nanjing (NJ) soils were similar to each other than to that in the GZ soil. The fate in the GZ soil seemed to be linked to the distinct edaphic properties, such as organic matter content, however soil microbial community could have influenced the distribution pattern of PAHs. This potential role of microorganisms was reflected by the unique changes in the copy numbers of Gram positive RHD_α gene, and by the distinct shifts in bacterial community composition during the incubation. A quite different shift in bacterial communities was found in the GZ microcosms which may influence PAH mineralization and non-extractable residue (NER) formation.

Effect of temperature, pH and total organic carbon variations on microbial turnover of 13C315N-glyphosate in agricultural soil

Glyphosate is the best-selling and the most-used broad-spectrum herbicide worldwide. Microbial conversion of glyphosate to CO2 and biogenic non-extractable residues (bioNER) leads to its complete degradation. The degradation of glyphosate may vary in different soils and it depends on environmental conditions and soil properties. To date, the influence of temperature, soil pH and total organic carbon (TOC) on microbial conversion of glyphosate to bioNER has not been investigated yet. The pH or TOC of an agricultural original soil (pH 6.6, TOC 2.1%) was modified using sulfuric acid or farmyard manure (FYM), respectively. Each treatment: original (I), 3% TOC (II), 4% TOC (III), pH 6.0 (IV) and pH 5.5 (V) was amended with 13C315N-glyphosate and incubated at 10 °C, 20 °C and 30 °C for 39 days. The temperature was the main factor controlling the mineralization and the extractable 13C315N-glyphosate, whereas higher TOC content and lower pH resulted in enhanced formation of 13C-bioNER. After 39 days the cumulative mineralization of 13C-glyphosate was in the range of 12-22% (10 °C), 37-47% (20 °C) and 43-54% (30 °C). Extractable residues of 13C-glyphosate were in the range of 10-21% (10 °C) and 4-10% (20 °C and 30 °C); whereas those of 15N-glyphosate were as follows 20-32% (10 °C) and 12-25% (20 °C and 30 °C). The 13C-NER comprised about 53-69% of 13C-mass balance in soils incubated at 10 °C, but 40-50% in soils incubated at 20 °C and 30 °C. The 15N-NER were higher than the 13C-NER and varied between 62% and 74% at 10 °C, between 53% and 81% at 20 °C and 30 °C. A major formation of 13C-bioNER (72-88% of 13C-NER) at 20 °C and 30 °C was noted in soil amended with FYM. An increased formation of 15N-bioNER (14-17% of 15N-NER) was also observed in FYM-amended soil. The xenobiotic 15N-NER had a major share within the 15N-NER and thus need to be considered when assessing the environmental risk of glyphosate-NER.

Biodegradation of Volatile Chemicals in Soil: Separating Volatilization and Degradation in an Improved Test Setup (OECD 307)

During environmental risk assessments of chemicals, higher-tier biodegradation tests in soil, sediment, and surface-water systems are required using OECD standards 307, 308, and 309 guidelines, respectively. These guidelines are not suitable for testing highly volatile chemicals, and a biometer closed-incubation setup is recommended for testing slightly volatile chemicals. In this setup, the degradation kinetics of highly volatile chemicals can largely be influenced by volatilization. Additionally, guidelines lack sufficient information on test-system geometry and guidance on how to measure and maintain aerobic conditions during the test. Our objectives were (1) to design a closed test setup for biodegradation tests in soil in which the maintaining and measuring of aerobic conditions was possible without the loss of volatile test chemicals and (2) to suggest data-treatment measures for evaluating the degradation kinetics of volatile test chemicals. With the new setup, full-scale OECD 307 tests were performed using the volatile ¹⁴C-labeled chemicals decane and tetralin. For both test chemicals, reproducible complete mass balances were observed, and the new setup ensured that the volatilization losses were kept below the mineralized fraction. Based on the obtained data, an extended model was developed that enabled consideration of the volatilization in the modeling of degradation kinetics.

Unraveling microbial turnover and non-extractable residues of bromoxynil in soil microcosms with 13C-isotope probing

Bromoxynil is a widely used nitrile herbicide applied to maize and other cereals in many countries. To date, still little is known about bromoxynil turnover and the structural identity of bromoxynil non-extractable residues (NER) which are reported to occur in high amounts. Therefore, we investigated the microbial turnover of ¹³C-labeled bromoxynil for 32 days. A focus was laid on the estimation of biogenic NER based on the turnover of ¹³C into amino acids (AA). At the end, 25% of ¹³C₆-bromoxynil equivalents were mineralized, 2% assigned to extractable residues and 72.5% to NER. Based on 12% in the ¹³C-total AA and an assumed share of AA of 50% in microbial biomass we arrived at 24% of total ¹³C-biogenic NER. About 33% of the total ¹³C-NER could thus be explained by ¹³C-biogenic NER; 67% was unknown and by definition xenobiotic NER with potential for toxicity. The ¹³C label from ¹³C₆-bromoxynil was mainly detected in the humic acids (28.5%), but significant amounts were also found in non-humics (17.6%), fulvic acids (13.2%) and humins (12.7%). The ¹³C-total amino acids hydrolyzed from humic acids, humins and fulvic acids amounted to 5.2%, 6.1% and 1.2% of ¹³C₆-bromoxynil equivalents, respectively, corresponding to total ¹³C-biogenic NER amounts of 10.4%, 12.2% and 2.4%. The humins contained mostly ¹³C-biogenic NER, whereas the humic and fulvic acids may be dominated by the xenobiotic NER. Due to the high proportion of unknown ¹³C-NER and particularly in the humic and fulvic acids, future studies should focus on the detailed characterization of these fractions.

Behaviour of S-metolachlor and its oxanilic and ethanesulfonic acids metabolites under fresh vs. partially decomposed cover crop mulches: A laboratory study

At the time of spring pre-emergent herbicide application, the soil surface in conservation agriculture is most of the time covered by cover crops (CC) mulches. The state of these mulches depends on their destruction date and on the selected species. Sorption and degradation of ¹⁴C-S-metolachlor on and within 8 decaying CC-covered (2 species × 4 initial decomposition state) soils corresponding to conservation agriculture were compared to its fate in bare soil (BS) corresponding to conventional agriculture. ¹⁴C-S-metolachlor and its metabolites distribution between mineralized, extractable and non-extractable (NER) fractions was determined at 5 dates during a 20 °C/84-d period. Herbicide mineralization was weak (<2%) for both CC and BS. Extractability of ¹⁴C in BS was intermediate between CC that were decomposed 28 or 56 days and 0 or 6 days before application. Degradates consisted in up to 43% of total radioactivity, with specificities according to the CC or soil compartment. NER formation was equivalent in BS and in the much decomposed CC-amended microcosms, and was stronger in less decomposed CC. S-metolachlor DT₅₀ was 23-d in BS, and 9, 15, 39 and 25-d for CC ordered by increased decomposition state at the time of application. These results were attributed to the proportion of ¹⁴C intercepted by CC, and to higher levels of organic matter and microbial activity in less decomposed CC as compared with more decomposed ones. Then the state of decomposition level of CC residues determines the behaviour of SMOC (S-metolachlor) sprayed on the mulch in the conditions of conservation agriculture.

Apportioning bacterial carbon source utilization in soil using 14 C isotope analysis of FISH-targeted bacterial populations sorted by fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS): 14 C-FISH-FACS

An unresolved need in microbial ecology is methodology to enable quantitative analysis of in situ microbial substrate carbon use at the population level. Here, we evaluated if a novel combination of radiocarbon-labelled substrate tracing, fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) to sort the FISH-targeted population for quantification of incorporated radioactivity (¹⁴ C-FISH-FACS) can address this need. Our test scenario used FISH probe PSE1284 targeting Pseudomonas spp. (and some Burkholderia spp.) and salicylic acid added to rhizosphere soil. We examined salicylic acid-¹⁴ C fate (mineralized, cell-incorporated, extractable and non-extractable) and mass balance (0-24 h) and show that the PSE1284 population captured ∼ 50% of the Nycodenz extracted biomass ¹⁴ C. Analysis of the taxonomic distribution of the salicylic acid biodegradation trait suggested that PSE1284 population success was not due to conservation of this trait but due to competitiveness for the added carbon. Adding 50KBq of ¹⁴ C sample^-1 enabled detection of ¹⁴ C in the sorted population at ∼ 60-600 times background; a sensitivity which demonstrates potential extension to analysis of rarer/less active populations. Given its sensitivity and compatibility with obtaining a C mass balance, ¹⁴ C-FISH-FACS allows quantitative dissection of C flow within the microbial biomass that has hitherto not been achieved.

Inoculation of soil with an Isoproturon degrading microbial community reduced the pool of "real non-extractable" Isoproturon residues

During pesticides degradation, biogenic non-extractable residues ("apparent NER") may not share the same environmental fate and risks with the "real NER" that are bound to soil matrix. It is not clear how microbial community (MC) inoculation for pesticides degradation would influence the NER composition. To investigate degradation efficiency of pesticides Isoproturon (IPU) and NER composition following MC inoculation, clay particles harboring MC that contains the IPU degrading strain, Sphingomonas sp., were inoculated into soil receiving ¹⁴C-labeled IPU addition. Mineralization of IPU was greatly enhanced with MC inoculation that averagely 55.9% of the applied ¹⁴C-IPU was consumed up into ¹⁴CO₂ during 46 days soil incubation. Isoproturon degradation was more thorough with MC than that in the control: much less amount of metabolic products (4.6% of applied IPU) and NER (35.4%) formed in MC treatment, while the percentages were respectively 30.3% for metabolites and 49.8% for NER in the control. Composition of NER shifted with MC inoculation, that relatively larger amount of IPU was incorporated into the biogenic "apparent NER" in comparison with "real NER". Besides its well-recognized role on enhancing mineralization, MC inoculation with clay particles benefits soil pesticides remediation in term of reducing "real NER" formation, which has been previously underestimated.

Prediction of the Formation of Biogenic Nonextractable Residues during Degradation of Environmental Chemicals from Biomass Yields

Degradation tests with radio or stable isotope labeled compounds enable the detection of the formation of nonextractable residues (NER). In PBT and vPvB assessment, remobilisable NER are considered as a potential risk while biogenic NER from incorporation of labeled carbon into microbial biomass are treated as degradation products. Relationships between yield, released CO₂ (as indicator of microbial activity and mineralization) and microbial growth can be used to estimate the formation of biogenic NER. We provide a new approach for calculation of potential substrate transformation to microbial biomass (theoretical yield) based on Gibbs free energy and microbially available electrons. We compare estimated theoretical yields of biotechnological substrates and of chemicals of environmental concern with experimentally determined yields for validation of the presented approach. A five-compartment dynamic model is applied to simulate experiments of ¹³C-labeled 2,4-D and ibuprofen turnover. The results show that bioNER increases with time, and that most bioNER originates from microbial proteins. Simulations with precalculated input data demonstrate that precalculation of yields reduces the number of fit parameters considerably, increases confidence in fitted kinetic data, and reduces the uncertainty of the simulation results.

A unified approach for including non-extractable residues (NER) of chemicals and pesticides in the assessment of persistence

All chemicals form non-extractable residues (NER) to various extents in environmental media like soil, sediment, plants and animals. NER can be quantified in environmental fate studies using isotope-labeled (such as ¹⁴C or ¹³C) tracer compounds. Previous NER definitions have led to a mismatch of legislation and state of knowledge in research: the residues are assumed to be either irreversibly bound degradation products or at least parts of these residues can be released. In the latter assumption, soils and sediments are a long-term source of slowly released residues. We here present a conceptual experimental and modeling approach to characterize non-extractable residues and provide guidance how they should be considered in the persistence assessment of chemicals and pesticides. Three types of NER can be experimentally discriminated: sequestered and entrapped residues (type I), containing either the parent substance or xenobiotic transformation products or both and having the potential to be released, which has indeed been observed. Type II NER are residues that are covalently bound to organic matter in soils or sediments or to biological tissue in organisms and that are considered being strongly bound with very low remobilization rates like that of humic matter degradation rates. Type III NER comprises biogenic NER (bioNER) after degradation of the xenobiotic chemical and anabolic formation of natural biomolecules like amino acids and phospholipids, and other biomass compounds. We developed the microbial turnover to biomass (MTB) model to predict the formation of bioNER based on the structural properties of chemicals. Further, we proposed an extraction sequence to obtain a matrix containing only NER. Finally, we summarized experimental methods to distinguish the three NER types. Type I NER and type II NER should be considered as potentially remobilizable residues in persistence assessment but the probability of type II release is much lower than that of type I NER, i.e., type II NER in soil are "operationally spoken" irreversibly bound and can be released only in minute amounts and at very slow rates, if at all. The potential of remobilization can be evaluated by chemical, physical and biological methods. BioNER are of no environmental concern and, therefore, can be assessed as such in persistence assessment. The general concept presented is to consider the total amount of NER minus potential bioNER as the amount of xenoNER, type I + II. If a clear differentiation of type I and type II is possible, for the calculation of half-life type I NER are considered as not degraded parent substance or transformation product(s). On the contrary, type II NER may generally be considered as (at least temporarily) removed. Providing proof for type II NER is the most critical issue in NER assessment and requires additional research. If no characterization and additional information on NER are available, it is recommended to assess the total amount as potentially remobilizable. We propose our unified approach of NER characterization and evaluation to be implemented into the persistence and environmental hazard assessment strategies for REACH chemicals and biocides, human and veterinary pharmaceuticals, and pesticides, irrespective of the different regulatory frameworks.

Formation, characterization, and mineralization of bound residues of tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) in silty clay soil under oxic conditions

The nature and stability of bound residues (BRs) derived from the widely used brominated flame retardant tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) in fine-textured soil is unknown. We incubated ¹⁴C-labeled TBBPA in silty clay rice paddy soil for 93days under oxic conditions. TBBPA dissipated with a first-order kinetic constant k_d of 0.0474±0.0017day^-1 (t_1/2 14.6±0.3days) and mineralized with a k_m of 0.0011±0.00002day^-1. At the end of the incubation, four metabolites, including two methylation products (TBBPA monomethyl and dimethyl ether), accounted for 7.9±0.1% of the initial TBBPA. The BRs continuously increased in amount to a maximum of 80.1±3.6%. About 86.3±0.9% of the BRs localized in the humin fraction and 55.9±1.5% was hydrolyzable with strong alkali (SAH-BRs), which represents reversible BRs. Together with results previously reported for coarse-textured soil, these results indicate that the absolute amounts of both BRs and SAH-BRs of TBBPA as well as the relative contribution of SAH-BRs to total BRs in fine-textured soil are markedly higher than in coarse-textured soil. When BRs-containing soil was incubated with fresh soil for 231days, 9.2±0.3% was mineralized (k_m 0.00047±0.00002day^-1) and SAH-BRs decreased to 34.1±1.1%, accompanied by transformation into other BR forms. These indicate that BRs are bioavailable in the soil. Amendment with rice root exudates did not effectively affect the mineralization, release, and distribution of BRs, suggesting that bioavailability of BRs but not microbial activity limits the degradation of BRs in the silty clay soil. This study provides first insights into the nature and stability of TBBPA-derived BRs in fine-textured soil under oxic conditions and indicates the significant role of reversible BRs in the environmental risk of TBBPA.

Microbial growth yield estimates from thermodynamics and its importance for degradation of pesticides and formation of biogenic non-extractable residues

In biodegradation studies with isotope-labelled pesticides, fractions of non-extractable residues (NER) remain, but their nature and composition is rarely known, leading to uncertainty about their risk. Microbial growth leads to incorporation of carbon into the microbial mass, resulting in biogenic NER. Formation of microbial mass can be estimated from the microbial growth yield, but experimental data is rare. Instead, we suggest using prediction methods for the theoretical yield based on thermodynamics. Recently, we presented the Microbial Turnover to Biomass (MTB) method that needs a minimum of input data. We have estimated the growth yield of 40 organic chemicals (31 pesticides) using the MTB and two existing methods. The results were compared to experimental values, and the sensitivity of the methods was assessed. The MTB method performed best for pesticides. Having the theoretical yield and using the released CO₂ as a measure for microbial activity, we predicted a range for the formation of biogenic NER. For the majority of the pesticides, a considerable fraction of the NER was estimated to be biogenic. This novel approach provides a theoretical foundation applicable to the evaluation and prediction of biogenic NER formation during pesticide degradation experiments, and may also be employed for the interpretation of NER data from regulatory studies.

Fate of phenanthrene and mineralization of its non-extractable residues in an oxic soil

The fate of organic pollutants in the environment, especially the formation and stability of non-extractable (i.e., bound) residues (NERs) determines their environmental risk. Using ¹⁴C-tracers, we studied the fate of the carcinogen phenanthrene in active or sterilized oxic loamy soil in the absence and presence of the geophagous earthworm Metaphire guillelmi and characterized the NERs derived from phenanthrene. After incubation of ¹⁴C-phenanthrene in active soil for 28 days, 40 ± 3.1% of the initial amount was mineralized and 70.1 ± 1.9% was converted to NERs. Most of the NERs (>92%) were bound to soil humin. Silylation of the humin-bound residues released 45.3 ± 5.3% of these residues, which indicated that they were physically entrapped, whereas the remainder of the residues were chemically bound or biogenic. By contrast, in sterilized soil, only 43.4 ± 12.6% of the phenanthrene was converted to NERs and all of these residues were completely released upon silylation, which underlines the essential role of microbial activity in NER formation. The presence of M. guillelmi in active soil significantly inhibited phenanthrene mineralization (24.4 ± 2.6% mineralized), but NER formation was not significantly affected. Only a small amount of phenanthrene-derived residues (1.9-5.3% of the initial amount) accumulated in the earthworm body. When humin-bound residues were mixed with fresh soil, 33.9% (humin recovered from active soils) and 12.4% (humin recovered from sterilized soils) of the residues were mineralized after 75 days of incubation, respectively, which indicated a high bioavailability of NERs, albeit lower than the initial addition of phenanthrene. Our results indicated that many phenanthrene-derived NERs, especially those physically entrapped, are still bioavailable and may pose a toxic threat to soil organisms.

Formation of 2,4-D bound residues in soils: New insights into microbial metabolism

The microbial contribution to the formation of bound residues in soils is studied by characterizing the metabolic activity of three microorganisms (Trametes versicolor, Fusarium solani and Ralstonia eutropha) on ¹⁴C-2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) during incubation in synthetic liquid media and soil. A fractionation protocol was applied to quantify the ¹⁴C-2,4-D that was incorporated into the biomass among biomolecular-like fractions. Successive fractionation of microbial biomass was implemented to break up and quantify the methanol/dichloromethane fraction (corresponding to the ¹⁴C-lipid-like fraction), the trichloroacetic acid fraction (or hydrolysed ¹⁴C-polysaccharide-like fraction) and the acid hydrolysable fraction (or the hydrolysed ¹⁴C-protein-like fraction). Relevant differences in the 2,4-D degradation and biomass radioactivity distribution among the three microorganisms were found. The ¹⁴C-protein-like fraction was the most consistent biomass fraction for reflecting the pesticide use capacity of the microorganisms under liquid and soil conditions. 2,4-D and its metabolite 4-chlorophenol were detected in methanol/dichloromethane and trichloroacetic acid fractions of the biomass of microorganisms exhibiting a low capacity to mineralize 2,4-D, thus proving that the microbial participation in the formation of bound residues while conserving the initial pesticide structure under natural soil conditions may be intimately associated with the lipid- and polysaccharide-like constituents. The fractionation protocol differentiates between ¹⁴C that is incorporated into biomass as a biomolecular constituent and the pesticide or its metabolites that accumulate in the biomass and thus correspond to the stricto sensu definition of bound residues.

Phytoavailability and mechanism of bound PAH residues in filed contaminated soils

Understanding the phytoavailability of bound residues of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soils is essential to assessing their environmental fate and risks. This study investigated the release and plant uptake of bound PAH residues (reference to parent compounds) in field contaminated soils after the removal of extractable PAH fractions. Plant pot experiments were performed in a greenhouse using ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) to examine the phytoavailablility of bound PAH residues, and microcosm incubation experiments with and without the addition of artificial root exudates (AREs) or oxalic acid were conducted to examine the effect of root exudates on the release of bound PAH residues. PAH accumulation in the ryegrass after a 50-day growth period indicated that bound PAH residues were significantly phytoavailable. The extractable fractions, including the desorbing and non-desorbing fractions, dominated the total PAH concentrations in vegetated soils after 50 days, indicating the transfer of bound PAH residues to the extractable fractions. This transfer was facilitated by root exudates. The addition of AREs and oxalic acid to test soils enhanced the release of bound PAH residues into their extractable fractions, resulting in enhanced phytoavailability of bound PAH residues in soils. This study provided important information regarding environmental fate and risks of bound PAH residues in soils.

Transformation of metamitron in water-sediment systems: Detailed insight into the biodegradation processes

Metamitron and its main metabolite desamino-metamitron are frequently detected in surface waters. To date, there are no studies targeting metamitron degradation in water-sediment systems. Therefore, the aim of this study was to trace the fate of metamitron in a water-sediment system using ¹³C-isotope labeling. Mineralization of metamitron was high and accounted for 49% of ¹³C₆-metamitron equivalents at the end. In contrast, only 8.7% of ¹³C₆-metamitron equivalents were mineralized in the water only system demonstrating the key role of sediment for biodegradation. Metamitron disappeared from the water on day 40 and was completely removed from the sediment on day 80. This agrochemical was utilized as carbon source by microorganisms as shown by the incorporation of the ¹³C label into microbial amino acids and finally into biogenic residues. The latter amounted to 24% of ¹³C₆-metamitron equivalents at the end. However, 17% of ¹³C₆-metamitron equivalents were detected in xenobiotic non-extractable residues (NER) with a release potential and delayed risk for the environment. Metamitron was degraded via two pathways, initially via 4-(dimethylimino)-3-methyl-6-phenyl-1,2,4-triazin-5(4H)-one, which might be related to growth, and later via desamino-metamitron, which can be attributed to starvation.

Enhanced degradation of isoproturon in an agricultural soil by a Sphingomonas sp. strain and a microbial consortium

Isoproturon (IPU) degradation in an agricultural soil inoculated with an isolated IPU-degrader strain (Sphingomonas sp. strain AK1, IS) or a microbial consortium (MC) harboring this strain, with or without carrier material, were investigated in soil microcosm experiments during 46 days. Effect of the carrier material and inoculation size on IPU-degradation efficacy of the inoculants were studied. Mineralization, extractable residues and non-extractable residues of ¹⁴C-labeled IPU were analyzed. The low IPU mineralization in untreated soil (7.0%) was enhanced to different extents by inoculation of IS (17.4%-46.0%) or MC (58.9%-67.5%). Concentrations of IPU residues in soils amended with MC (0.002-0.095 μg g dry soil^-1) were significantly lower than in soils amended with IS (0.02-0.67 μg g dry soil^-1) and approximately 10 times lower than in the uninoculated soil (0.06-0.80 μg g dry soil^-1). Less extractable residues and non-extractable residues were detected in soil with higher IPU mineralization. Inoculation size (as indicated by the volume of liquid cultures or by the number of carrier particles) determined the IPU-removal efficacy of IS in soil, but this effect was less pronounced for MC. The low sorption of IPU to soil and the decreasing IPU-mineralizing rates suggested incapability of IS to establish the IPU-mineralizing function in the soil. The thorough removal of IPU and persistent IPU-mineralizing activity of soil inoculated with MC indicated a high persistence of IPU-metabolic trait. Our results showed that microbial consortia might be more efficient than single degrader strains to enhance clean-up of organic chemicals in soil.

Identification of degradation routes of metamitron in soil microcosms using 13C-isotope labeling

Metamitron is one of the most commonly used herbicide in sugar beet and flower bulb cultures. Numerous laboratory and field studies on sorption and degradation of metamitron were performed. Detailed biodegradation studies in soil using ¹³C-isotope labeling are still missing. Therefore, we aimed at providing a detailed turnover mass balance of ¹³C₆-metamitron in soil microcosms over 80 days. In the biotic system, metamitron mineralized rapidly, and ¹³CO₂ finally constituted 60% of the initial ¹³C₆-metamitron equivalents. In abiotic control experiments CO₂ rose to only 7.4% of the initial ¹³C₆-metamitron equivalents. The ¹³C label from ¹³C₆-metamitron was incorporated into microbial amino acids that were ultimately stabilized in the soil organic matter forming presumably harmless biogenic residues. Finally, ¹³C label from ¹³C₆-metamitron was distributed between the ¹³CO₂ and the ¹³C-biogenic residues indicating nearly complete biodegradation. The parallel increase of ¹³C-alanine, ¹³C-glutamate and ¹³CO₂ indicates that metamitron was initially biodegraded via the desamino-metamitron route suggesting its relevance in the growth metabolism. In later phases of biodegradation, the "Rhodococcus route" was indicated by the low ¹³CO₂ evolution and the high relevance of the pyruvate pathway, which aims at biomolecule synthesis and seems to be related to starvation. This is a first report on the detailed degradation route of metamitron in soil.

Long-term experiments to investigate irreversibility in sorption of pesticides to soil

Experiments investigated irreversibility in pesticide sorption to soil. Sorption behaviour under abiotic conditions was quantified for chlorotoluron, prometryn and hexaconazole in three soils over periods of up to 274 days. An isotope-exchange procedure was used whereby sorption of (12)C- and (14)C-pesticide isotopes in shaken suspensions of three soils (56-168 days shaking) was followed by substitution of the isotopes in the liquid phase and a 14-day exchange phase. This was followed by forced isotope exchange where the sorbed (14)C material was exchanged by adding an excess of non-radiolabelled compound. Experiments were concluded with solvent extraction and soil combustion to determine remaining radioactivity. Under conditions of continuous shaking, the pesticide-soil systems took around four months to approach sorption equilibrium, resulting in strong asymmetry between the profiles of exchange for isotopes of all three compounds. Physically entrapped residues were released back into solution under the steep concentration gradient of forced isotope exchange and small amounts of radioactivity were still being released at the termination of the experiment. The profiles of exchange did not deviate markedly from ideal behaviour based on the assumption that sorption is fully reversible. Whilst the timescales for release of sorbed residues back into solution were very long, soil combustion at study termination only yielded <1-2% of applied radioactivity; this confirms that sorption processes under abiotic soil conditions were overwhelmingly reversible for this set of compounds and soils.

(Bio)degradation of glyphosate in water-sediment microcosms - A stable isotope co-labeling approach

Glyphosate and its metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) are frequently detected in water and sediments. Up to date, there are no comprehensive studies on the fate of glyphosate in water-sediment microcosms according to OECD 308 guideline. Stable isotope co-labeled (13)C3(15)N-glyphosate was used to determine the turnover mass balance, formation of metabolites, and formation of residues over a period of 80 days. In the water-sediment system, 56% of the initial (13)C3-glyphosate equivalents was ultimately mineralized, whereas the mineralization in the water system (without sediment) was low, reaching only 2% of (13)C-glyphosate equivalents. This finding demonstrates the key role of sediments in its degradation. Glyphosate was detected below detection limit in the water compartment on day 40, but could still be detected in the sediments, ultimately reaching 5% of (13)C3(15)N-glyphosate equivalents. A rapid increase in (13)C(15)N-AMPA was noted after 10 days, and these transformation products ultimately constituted 26% of the (13)C3-glyphosate equivalents and 79% of the (15)N-glyphosate equivalents. In total, 10% of the (13)C label and 12% of the (15)N label were incorporated into amino acids, indicating no risk bearing biogenic residue formation from (13)C3(15)N-glyphosate. Initially, glyphosate was biodegraded via the sarcosine pathway related to microbial growth, as shown by co-labeled (13)C(15)N-glycine and biogenic residue formation. Later, degradation via AMPA dominated under starvation conditions, as shown by the contents of (13)C-glycine. The presented data provide the first evidence of the speciation of the non-extractable residues as well as the utilization of glyphosate as a carbon and nitrogen source in the water-sediment system. This study also highlights the contribution of both the sarcosine and the AMPA degradation pathways under these conditions.

Metabolism of Pyrithiobac Sodium in Soils and Sediment, Addressing Bound Residues via Kinetics Modeling

Degradation of pyrithiobac sodium (PE350) was examined in a number of soils and sediments using (14)C-PE350. It degrades primarily via microbial degradation which leads to the separation of the two rings of the molecule. Identification of several metabolites, many of which were minor products, helped to understand the formation of nonextractable residues (NER) and (14)CO2. In all studies, unextractable residues accounted for a large portion (20-60%) of the residues. Traditional kinetics modeling treats NER and CO2 as a single compartment, stated as sink, and formation mechanism of such components individually is ignored. Since studies conducted with radiolabeled test substance provides an accurate measurement of NER and CO2, we have demonstrated that kinetics modeling with these compartments separately can be used to clarify degradation pathways, including the origin of NER and CO2. This work demonstrated that overall metabolism in soils and sediments proceeded via similar pathways, and kinetics modeling was useful in clarifying the degradation route and formation of NER in all studies.