Integrating chemical and biological remediation of atrazine and S‐triazine‐containing pesticide wastes

Abstract

Fenton's reagent (FR) and the catabolic activity of Rhodococcus corallinus and Pseudomonas sp. strain D were combined to detoxify s‐triazines in pure solutions and mixed wastes. In solutions containing only atrazine, complete atrazine decomposition was accomplished with 2.69 mM FR. But FR treatment was not complete in a remediation context because stable, potentially carcinogenic chlorinated products accumulated as end products. Rhodococcus corallinus degraded these products in ≤10 min and produced 47% 14CO2 from [2,4,6‐14C]atrazine in 7 d. Combining R. corallinus with Pseudomonas sp. strain D increased 14CO2 production to 73%. When applied to a pesticide rinse water containing atrazine, cyanazine, alachlor, metolachlor, and EPTC, ≥99% of the pesticides were degraded with 12.2 mM FR. Subsequent treatment with R. corallinus and Pseudomonas sp. strain D degraded all chlorinated s‐triazine intermediates and released 70% 14CO2 from a [2,4,6‐14C]atrazine tracer in 10 d. Use of R. corallinus obviated the need for additional chemical pretreatment, e.g., acidification or base hydrolysis, used in previous studies prior to microbial incubations. Thus, this method has potential as an on‐site treatment for pesticide rinse water.

Membrane transport systems and the biodegradation potential and pathogenicity of genus Rhodococcus

“…Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which are persistent organic pollutants, are efficiently degraded by R. rhodochrous (Boyle et al, 1992) and R. globerulus (Asturias and Timmis, 1993). Atrazine and s-triazine containing wastes can be cleaned by R. corallinus (Arnold et al, 1996) and crude-oil contaminated environments can be efficiently remediated by e.g., R. ruber and R. erythropolis (Bell et al, 1998; de Carvalho and da Fonseca, 2005a). The strain R. erythropolis DCL14 was described as able to degrade a wide range of toxic compounds, such as n -alkanes and aromatic compounds, fuel oil, and motor oil, even under saline and extreme conditions (de Carvalho and da Fonseca, 2005a; de Carvalho et al, 2005, 2007; de Carvalho, 2012).…”

Integrated Chemical and Biological Remediation of Atrazine-Contaminated Aqueous Wastes

“…The s-triazine transformation products were identified by HPLC/Electrospray (ES)-MS/MS equipped with a radioactivity detector, and confirmatory analysis was done using high resolution-electron impact-mass spectrometry (HR-EI-MS) and GC/MS as described previously (18). Chloride ion was determined using an ion-specific electrode (12,19).…”

One-pot synthesis of graphene quantum dots and simultaneous nanostructured self-assembly via a novel microwave-assisted method: impact on triazine removal and efficiency monitoring

“…With the increasing use of herbicides for implementing the agricultural productivity, and their negative impact on the environment and human health, the demand of sustainable methods for their monitorization and removal has increased dramatically. 11–13 Typically, these toxic compounds are detected using very expensive instrumentation; thus, economic alternatives for its analysis are under active research. In this sense, nanotechnology has paid a crucial role since variety of nanomaterials were applied to either extract or report the presence of pesticides.…”