Abiotic degradation (photodegradation and hydrolysis) of imidazolinone herbicides

Photolysis of the herbicide dicamba in aqueous solutions and on corn (Zea mays) epicuticular waxes

Dicamba, 3,6-dichloro-2-methoxybenzoic acid, has been used in agriculture as an herbicide for over fifty years, and has seen an increase in use in the past decade due to the development of glyphosate resistant weeds and soybeans genetically modified to resist dicamba. Despite the previous use of dicamba, many questions remain regarding its environmental fate, especially the new commercial formulations used on genetically modified crops. Here, the photolysis of dicamba, including the commercial formulation Diablo®, is examined in aqueous solutions of varying water quality and on the surface of corn epicuticular waxes. Dicamba is stable to hydrolysis but degrades under UV light. The photolytic half-life for dicamba photolysis in aqueous solutions at pH 7 irradiated with Rayonet UVB lamps (280-340 nm) was t1/2 = 43.3 min (0.72 hours), in aqueous solutions at pH 7 in a Q-Sun solar simulator (λ > 300 nm) was t1/2 = 13.4 hours, and on epicuticular waxes irradiated in the Q-Sun solar simulator was t1/2 = 105 hours. Experiments with adjuvants, compounds added into the commercial formulations of dicamba, led to increases in rate constants for both aqueous and wax experiments. In addition to kinetic rate constants, photoproducts were tentatively assigned for the aqueous solution experiments. This work deepens the knowledge of the environmental fate of dicamba including the role surfactants play in chemical reactions and in providing new applications of current methods to examine the photolysis of chemicals sorbed to surfaces.

Residues and Dissipation of the Herbicide Imazapyr after Operational Use in Irrigation Water

Imazapyr is a herbicide that can be used in irrigation canals to control a range of aquatic weed species, however, its residual nature, combined with its phytotoxicity to crops at low concentrations, means that the water in canals must be carefully managed following imazapyr application. Residues of the herbicide imazapyr (isopropylamine salt) in irrigation water were analysed and modelled after application to irrigation canals in south-eastern Australia. A treatment program to control delta arrowhead (sagittaria; Sagittaria platyphylla (Engelm.) J.G. Sm.) in over 400 km of irrigation canals was enacted by applying imazapyr to dewatered canals during winter. Following imazapyr application, canals were left dewatered for a period (up to eight weeks) and then refilled. After refilling, canals were ponded for a period (up to 28 days) to allow degradation of imazapyr in the water via photolysis. Upon refilling canals, ~650 water samples containing imazapyr were collected across the treatment area and data modelled to measure the extent of water contamination and to guide efforts to reduce the subsequent irrigation hazard to crops. Modelled data demonstrates that imazapyr behaviour in irrigation water following canal refilling was predictable when 1) amount of imazapyr applied, 2) the dewatered period following herbicide application, 3) the water ponding period, and 4) solar exposure during water ponding were taken into account. Minimising the amount applied (g imazapyr per km of canal) and maximising the time between spraying and refilling (dewatered period) reduced the initial concentration in the water following canal refilling. The amount of imazapyr in the canal water following refilling was reduced by half for every 16 days (confidence interval = 10-38 days) that the canal remained dewatered after imazapyr application. Imazapyr dissipation during the ponding period following canal refilling occurred at a rate that depended on solar exposure. Dissipation did not occur when solar exposure was <8.5 MJ m^-2. However, when solar exposure was >10 MJ m^-2, imazapyr concentration in the water reduced by half for every 4.4 days of ponding period (confidence interval = 2.9-9.5 days). Our two models, combined with local climate data on solar exposure, can be used by canal managers to determine the optimal time to refill canals so that imazapyr dissipation is maximised, and thus risk of damaging irrigated crops is minimised.

Herbicide Exposure and Toxicity to Aquatic Primary Producers

The aim of the present review was to give an overview of the current state of science concerning herbicide exposure and toxicity to aquatic primary producers. To this end we assessed the open literature, revealing the widespread presence of (mixtures of) herbicides, inevitably leading to the exposure of non-target primary producers. Yet, herbicide concentrations show strong temporal and spatial variations. Concerning herbicide toxicity, it was concluded that the most sensitive as well as the least sensitive species differed per herbicide and that the observed effect concentrations for some herbicides were rather independent from the exposure time. More extensive ecotoxicity testing is required, especially considering macrophytes and marine herbicide toxicity. Hence, it was concluded that the largest knowledge gap concerns the effects of sediment-associated herbicides on primary producers in the marine/estuarine environment. Generally, there is no actual risk of waterborne herbicides to aquatic primary producers. Still, median concentrations of atrazine and especially of diuron measured in China, the USA and Europe represented moderate risks for primary producers. Maximum concentrations due to misuse and accidents may even cause the exceedance of almost 60% of the effect concentrations plotted in SSDs. Using bioassays to determine the effect of contaminated water and sediment and to identify the herbicides of concern is a promising addition to chemical analysis, especially for the photosynthesis-inhibiting herbicides using photosynthesis as endpoint in the bioassays. This review concluded that to come to a reliable herbicide hazard and risk assessment, an extensive catch-up must be made concerning macrophytes, the marine environment and especially sediment as overlooked and understudied environmental compartments.

Behavior of the Chiral Herbicide Imazamox in Soils: Enantiomer Composition Differentiates between Biodegradation and Photodegradation

Imazamox is a chiral herbicide that, in laboratory experiments in the dark, exhibits pronounced enantioselective biodegradation in certain soils. Imazamox also shows rapid photodegradation. However, which processes are predominant in the field is not clear. We conducted a set of soil incubation experiments under natural sunlight (and corresponding dark controls), using enantioselective LC-MS/MS analysis as a probe to distinguish biodegradation and photodegradation. Under dark conditions, imazamox was degraded enantioselectively. In contrast, degradation was nonenantioselective and 2× faster when the soil was exposed to sunlight, suggesting that biodegradation (in the dark) and photodegradation (under sunlight) were the predominant degradation processes. We also investigated the effectiveness of strategies that were proposed to exclude photodegradation in field studies, covering of soil with sand or irrigation after herbicide application. The sand cover did not prevent photodegradation. On the contrary, degradation was 10× faster than in the dark and nonenantioselective. Computer simulations supported the explanation that imazamox was transported upward by capillary flow due to evaporation onto the sand surface, where it was rapidly photodegraded. Irrigation postponed but not completely prevented photodegradation. For mobile substances susceptible to photodegradation, upward transport to the soil surface thus needs to be considered when deriving rates for biodegradation from field studies.

Degradation of imazapic and imazapyr herbicides in the presence of optimized oil palm empty fruit bunch and rice husk biochars in soil

Imidazolinones as a persistent and active herbicides group have potential risks to non-target organisms in the environment. Biochar is a carbon-rich sorbent used as an amendment to change soil properties and its microbial communities effective on pesticides degradation rate. The present study was the first to compare empty fruit bunch (EFB) of oil palm and rice husk (RH) biomasses as biochar feedstock for remediation of imidazolinones-contaminated soils. Degradations of imazapic, imazapyr, and a mixture of them (Onduty^®) was investigated in the presence of the optimized biochars in the soil during a 70-days incubation. Based on the results, the polar herbicides were resistant to hydrolysis degradation. Photolysis rates of the herbicides reduced significantly in the presence of the biochars in the soil. EFB biochar had greater effects due to its chemical compositions and surface functional groups. Photo-degradation of imazapyr was more affected by biochars amendment. The imidazolinones bio-degradation, however, accelerated significantly with the presence of EFB and RH biochars in soil with the greater effects of RH biochar. It was concluded that the application of the optimized EFB and RH biochars as an innovative sustainable strategy has the potential to decrease the persistence of the imidazolinones and minimize their environmental hazards.

Chemotactic screening of imidazolinone-degrading bacteria by microfluidic SlipChip

The group of imidazolinone herbicides, widely used for weed control, is hazardous to some sensitive rotational crops. Thus, rapid elimination of imidazolinones from contaminated soil is significant for the environment. Biodegradation studies have demonstrated the ability of chemotaxis to enhance the biodegradation of pollutants. In this study, we used our newly developed SlipChip device for chemotactic sorting and a microfluidic streak plate device for bacterial cultivation as a new pipeline for screening imidazolinone degraders. The degradation efficiencies of an enrichment consortium and a chemotaxis consortium were determined by HPLC-MS/MS. Both consortia degraded all tested imidazolinones, with the highest efficiency (71.8%) for imazethapyr, and the chemotaxis consortium degraded these compounds approximately 10% more efficiently than the enrichment consortium. Moreover, the community diversities of the enrichment consortium and the chemotaxis consortium were analyzed by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. The results indicated that members of genus Ochrobactrum primarily contribute to the degradation of imidazolinones. This work proved that chemotaxis toward biodegradable pollutants increases their bioavailability and enhances the biodegradation rate. It also provided a new way to screen effective pollutant degraders and can be applied for the selective isolation of other chemotactic species from environmental samples.

Enantiomeric environmental behavior, oxidative stress and toxin release of harmful cyanobacteria Microcystis aeruginosa in response to napropamide and acetochlor

Harmful algal blooms have emerged as a worldwide issue. After concentrations of herbicides entering water, herbicides in water may pose ecological effects on them. The present study investigates the toxicity and environmental behavior of the herbicides, napropamide and acetochlor as enantiomers and as racemates on Microcystis aeruginosa which is the main specie known to produce hepatotoxins. S-napropamide/acetochlor are degraded faster than their corresponding isomer R-napropamide/acetochlor, with the latter more prone to accumulate in algal cells. Moreover, all the enantiomers did not undergo measurable racemization in the medium and algal cells. S-napropamide/acetochlor exhibited much higher toxicity than R-napropamide/acetochlor, with the S-enantiomer inducing a much greater production of antioxidant defense enzymes (superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA)) and microcystins (MC). SOD and MC increased after treatment with the herbicides and these increases were dependent on the exposure time, whereas MDA showed no apparent change. The information provided in this work will be useful for understanding the toxicity mechanism and environmental behaviors of different amide herbicides (napropamide and acetochlor) in aquatic environments at the enantiomeric level. Additionally, analysis of chiral herbicides in aquatic system needs more attention to aide in the environmental assessment of chiral herbicides.

Modelling the photochemistry of imazethapyr in rice paddy water

In this work the photochemistry of imazethapyr, an imidazolinone herbicide used in rice crops, was modelled in rice paddy water. The photochemical half-life time of the herbicide was assessed by means of the APEX software (Aqueous Photochemistry of Environmentally occurring Xenobiotics) taking into account the direct photolysis, the reactions with hydroxyl radicals (HO) and, in some cases, the reactions with the excited triplet states of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (³CDOM*). We found that direct photolysis and HO reaction can account for a half-life time ranging between 8 and 11 days in May, which is in quite good agreement with the half-life times measured in the field and reported in the literature. These findings suggest that direct photolysis and reaction with HO are important degradation pathways for imazethapyr in paddy water. Dissolved organic matter (DOM) has been reported in the literature to decrease the imazethapyr photodegradation rate. Our model computations confirm this finding but, upon comparison of model predictions with experimental data from the literature, we provide evidence of a non-negligible role of DOM-photosensitised processes in imazethapyr degradation, particularly in DOM-rich waters. We also assess an upper limit (10⁸ L mol^-1 s^-1) for the second-order rate constant of the reaction between imazethapyr and ³CDOM*. Furthermore, on the basis of literature-reported photodegradation pathways and by using both APEX and the US-EPA ECOSAR V2.0 software, we assess that the direct photolysis by-products of imazethapyr could pose a potential ecotoxicological threat to aquatic systems.

The role of indirect photochemical degradation in the environmental fate of pesticides: a review

Photochemical degradation contributes to the environmental fate of many pesticides in surface waters. A better understanding of the role of direct and indirect photochemical degradation of pesticides is necessary in order to predict their environmental fate and persistence. This review includes all major pesticide classes and focuses on the importance of dissolved organic matter (DOM) as a sensitizer in indirect photodegradation within aquatic systems. Photochemical studies conducted under environmentally relevant conditions (i.e., aqueous solutions with irradiation wavelengths >290 nm) are included. Comparisons are made between observed photodegradation rates in pure or buffered water and in water containing DOM to assess the extent of pesticide susceptibility to DOM-sensitized indirect photolysis. When data is available, the role of specific reactive species in indirect photodegradation is described. While it is possible to assess the relative importance of direct and indirect photodegradation on a pesticide-by-pesticide basis in many cases, it is often difficult to make generalizations based on compound class. Knowledge gaps and inconstancies in the current body of literature are discussed and areas that require additional research are described.

Persistence and sorption of imazapyr in three Argentinean soils

Imazapyr is a herbicide widely used for weed control in imidazolinone-tolerant sunflower. Imazapyr has a high potential for leaching into groundwater because it is highly water-soluble, persistent in soil, and only weakly sorbed by soils. There is a lack of information available in Argentina concerning groundwater leaching of imazapyr. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to determine the persistence and sorption of imazapyr in 3 Argentinean soils (Tandil, Anguil, and Cerro Azul sites). The presence and concentration of imazapyr were determined and quantified by ultra-performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry. The persistence in soils followed the order: Cerro Azul > Tandil > Anguil, with half-life values of 121 d, 75 d, and 37 d, respectively. The half-life of imazapyr was negatively associated with soil pH and iron and aluminum content, and was positively related to clay content. Imazapyr sorption was found to be well described by the Freundlich isotherm. Soil pH and clay, iron, and aluminum contents were the main factors affecting the sorption of imazapyr. The sorption had a limiting effect on the degradation rate. Under certain conditions, the weak sorption and high persistence may increase the movement of imazapyr in the soil profile and the risk of groundwater pollution.

Leaching of three imidazolinone herbicides during sprinkler irrigation

Some imidazolinone herbicides have been shown to be mobile in soil, raising concern about their possible movement to ground water. Three imidazolinone herbicides (imazamethabenz-methyl, 497 g ha(-1); imazethapyr, 14.7 g ha(-1); and imazamox, 14.7 g ha(-1)) commonly used in crop production on the Canadian prairies were applied to a tile-drained field to assess their susceptibility to leach when subjected to sprinkler irrigation using a center pivot. Tile-drain flow began when the water table rose above tile-drain depth, and peak flow rates corresponded to the greatest depths of ground water above the tile drains. Interception of irrigation water by the tile drains in each quadrant of the field varied from ∼11 to 20% of the water applied. Under a worst-case scenario in which irrigation began the day after herbicide application and irrigation water was applied at 25 mm d(-1) for 12 d, there was evidence of preferential flow of all three herbicides and hydrolysis of imazamethabenz-methyl to imazamethabenz in the initial samples of tile-drain effluent. In subsequent samples, concentrations (analysis by LC-MS-MS) of the summation of imazamethabenz-methyl (25-24,000 ng L(-1)) plus its hydrolysis product imazamethabenz (63-26,500 ng L(-1)) greatly exceeded those of imazethapyr (<13-1260 ng L) and imazamox (19-599 ng L(-1)), thus reflecting relative application rates. In contrast, estimates of total transport of each herbicide from the root zone, which varied in each quadrant and ranged from 0.06 to 2.3% for imazamethabenz-methyl plus imazamethabenz, 0.71 to 3.1% for imazethapyr, and 0.61 to 2.8% for imazamox, did not reflect application rates. In shallow ground water (piezometer samples), there was inconsistent and infrequent detection all four compounds. With the frequency and amount of rainfall typically encountered in the prairie region of Canada, contamination of shallow ground water with detectable concentrations of the three imidazolinone herbicides would be unlikely.

Photodegradation of the herbicide imazethapyr in aqueous solution: effects of wavelength, pH, and natural organic matter (NOM) and analysis of photoproducts

The photodegradation of imazethapyr, 5-ethyl-2-(4-isopropyl-4-methyl-5-oxo-4,5-dihydroimidazol-1H-3-yl)nicotinic acid, has been investigated in phosphate buffers and in buffered solutions containing natural organic matter (NOM). Imazethapyr degrades most quickly under 253.7 nm light and at pH values >4. The presence of NOM in solution caused the reaction rate constants for the photodegradation to decrease, with higher concentrations of NOM having a larger effect. Calculations suggest light screening is the major effect of the NOM. Seven photoproducts have been identified, and a photodegradation mechanism is proposed.