No abstract

The degradation and leaching of bentazone, terbuthylazine and S-metolachlor and their metabolites N-methyl-bentazone, desethyl-terbuthylazine, 2-hydroxy-terbuthylazine, metolachlor ethane sulfonic acid (ESA) and metolachlor oxanilic acid (OA) were investigated using the plant protection products Artett (bentazone/terbuthylazine), Gardo Gold (S-metolachlor/terbuthylazine) and Dual Gold (S-metolachlor) applied to a weighable, monolithic, high precision lysimeter with a loamy, sandy soil. Artett and Gardo Gold were applied at higher doses than recommended according to good agricultural practice. In leachate, S-metolachlor was detected at concentrations of up to 0.15 µg/L, whereas metolachlor-ESA and metolachlor-OA were present at higher concentrations of up to 37 µg/L and 8.4 µg/L, respectively. In a second terbuthylazine application, concentrations of desethyl-terbuthylazine of up to 0.1 µg/L were detected. In soil, bentazone degraded faster than terbuthylazine and S-metolachlor, whereas the metabolization of terbuthylazine after the second application resulted in an enhanced formation of desethyl-terbuthylazine and a highly increased hydroxylation of terbuthylazine. The importance of analysing both parent compounds and metabolites on a long-term scale was demonstrated to better understand the environmental fate and transport.

Summary Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) can cause adverse effects in individuals and their offspring. In 2017 and 2018, we performed a survey on representative samples of Austrian drinking water (n = 20), groundwater (n = 22), and surface water (n = 12), the latter including bathing water (n = 5) and rivers (n = 7). We analyzed 54 samples for 28 parameters, including estrogens, polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs), phthalates, perfluoroalkyl substances, alkylphenols, bisphenol A and triclosan, correlating to 1512 measurements. In 39 of the 54 samples (72.2%), at least one endocrine disrupting or potentially disrupting chemical was found at or above the limit of quantification. None of the samples yielded estrogens or triclosan in detectable levels. Bisphenol A (BPA) was detected in 4 (20.0%) samples of drinking water, in 1 (4.5%) groundwater sample, and in 1 (20%) bathing water sample, with a maximum concentration of 0.021 μg/l found in one drinking water. Two drinking water samples yielded BPA in concentrations above the limit value of 0.01 μg/l, recently proposed by the European Commission for drinking water. Therefore, the ultimate public health goal must be to further reduce and restrict the production of EDCs and therewith decrease and eventually eliminate the contamination of drinking water resources.