Atrazine toxicity

Correll, D.L. and T.L. Wu. 1982. Atrazine toxicity to submersed vascular plants in simulated estuarine microcosms. Aquat. Bot. 14 151-158. 

Hall, L.W., Jr., M.C. Ziegenfuss, R.D. Anderson, T.D. Spittler, and H.C. Leichtweis. 1994. Influence of salinity on atrazine toxicity to a Chesapeake Bay copepod (Eurytemora affinis) and fish (Cyprinodon ajfinis). Estuaries 17(1B) 181-186. 

Prasad, T.A.V. and D.C. Reddy. 1994. Atrazine toxicity on hydromineral balance of fish, Tilapia mossambicus. Ecotoxicol. Environ. Safety 28 313-316. 

Sass, J. B. and Devine, J. P., The centre for regulatory effectiveness invokes the data quality act to reject published studies on atrazine toxicity, Environ. Health Perspect., 112, A18,2004. 

FIGURE 4.1 Geometric means of acute atrazine toxicity data in freshwater and saltwater organisms. (Reprinted with permission from Solomon et al. 1996 Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry.)... 

FIGURE 4.1 Geometric means of acute atrazine toxicity data in freshwater... 

Figure 5-31. Search for atrazine and daphnia toxicity in the Cennan Environmeiital Information NetworkGEIN portal (excerpt from search, October 21, 2002) http //wu u. geln.de/incfex en.htm ).

For the sample search on aquatic toxicity of atrazine, 1459 results were found. An excerpt on the daphnia acute aquatic toxicity tests (EC50. LC.50) is prc.scnted in Figure 5-33. 

K. J. Maeek, K. S. Buxton, S. S. Sauter, S. Gnilka and J. W. Dean, Chronic Toxicity of Atrazine to Selected Aquatic Invertebrates and Pishes, Environmental Researeh Laboratory, US Environmental Proteetion Ageney, Deluth, MN, 1976, EPA 600/3-76-047. 

Until recently, the NRA has not participated during the approval process in assessing the potential environmental impact of pesticides. However, the NRA does supply monitoring data to MAFF and HSE for pesticide reviews. These occur once a pesticide has been approved for use for a certain length of time, or when further information is needed on an approved pesticide. In supplying these data, the NRA comments on any areas of concern. This contributed to the 1993 ban on the use of atrazine and simazine on non-cropped land. In January 1995 the NRA s National Centre for Toxic and Persistent Substances (TAPS) was made advisor to the DoF, on the potential impact on the aquatic environment of... 

There are at least 22 chemical families of organic herbicides. Even a cursory treatment of the chemistry of these materials would be extensive. Herbicides of limited toxicity (Treflan, Atrazine) as well as extremely toxic ones (Paraquat. Dinoseb) are in use in many parts of the world. They range from water soluble to insoluble. The detailed chemistry of each should be determined prior to handling. 

Ureides (e.g., diuron, linuron) and triazines (e.g., atrazine, simazine, ametryne) all act as inhibitors of photosynthesis and are applied to soil (see Figure 14.1 for structures). They are toxic to seedling weeds, which they can absorb from the soil. Some of them (e.g., simazine) have very low water solubility and, consequently, are persistent and relatively immobile in soil (see Chapter 4, Section 4.3, which also mentions the question of depth selection when these soil-acting herbicides are used for selective weed control). 

Thus it is significant that for such si/m-triazine herbicides as simazine, atrazine, etc., the health and hygiene MPC (toxicity to warm-blooded animals, including humans) and phytotoxic MPC (toxicity to plants) differ by more than an order of magnitude 0.2-0.5 mg/kg for warm-blooded animals, and 0.01 mg/ kg for plants [89]. Warm-blooded animals and arthropods have a difference in sensitivity to many pyretroids that can reach tens of thousands of times [90]. 

No visible adverse physiological effects or signs of toxicity. No effect on egg production or growth. No residues of atrazine or its metabolites detected in eggs. In excreta, however, atrazine and atrazine metabolites were detected after 24 h on treated diet and remained measurable until day 11, or after 4 days on an untreated diet (Foster and Khan 1976 Reed 1982)... 

Gonzalez-Murua, C., A. Munoz-Rueda, F. Hernando, and M. Sanchez-Diaz. 1985. Effect of atrazine and methabenzthiazuron on oxygen evolution and cell growth of Chlorella pyrenoidosa. Weed Res. 25 61-66. Gorge, G. and R. Nagel. 1990. Toxicity of lindane, atrazine, and deltamethrin to early life stages of zebrafish (Brachydanio rerio). Ecotoxicol. Environ. Safety 20 246-255. 

Howe, G.E., R. Gillis, and R.C. Mowbray. 1998. Effect of chemical synergy and larval stage on the toxicity of atrazine and alachlor to amphibian larvae. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 17 519-525. 

Kulshrestha, G., N.T. Yaduraju, and V.S. Mani. 1982. The relative toxicity of the s-triazine herbicides atrazine and simazine to crops. Jour. Environ. Sci. Health B17 341-354. 

Neskovic, N.K., I. Elezovic, V. Karan, V. Poleksic, and M. Budimir. 1993. Acute and subacute toxicity of atrazine to carp (Cyprinus carpio L.). Ecotoxicol. Environ. Safety 25 173-182. 

Shabana, E.F. 1987. Use of batch assays to assess the toxicity of atrazine to some selected cyanobacteria. 1. Influence of atrazine on the growth, pigmentation and carbohydrate contents of Aulosira fertilissima, Anabaena oryzae, Nostoc muscorum and Tolypothrix tenuis. Jour. Basic Microbiol. 2 113-119. 

Veber, K., J. Zahradnik, I. Breyl, and F. Kredi. 1981. Toxic effect and accumulation of atrazine in algae. Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 27 872-876. 

Ward, G.S. and L. Ballantine. 1985. Acute and chronic toxicity of atrazine to estuarine fauna. Estuaries 8 22-27. Weete, J.D., P. Pillai, and D.D. Davis. 1980. Metabolism of atrazine by Spartina altemiflora. 2. Water-soluble metabolites. Jour. Agric. Food Chem. 28 636-640. 

However, the decomposition of organic compounds does not always lead to nontoxic solutions. Mineralization of melamine (2,4,6-triamino-l,3,5-triazine) and other chemicals was accomplished on Ti02 Degussa P-25. The formation of cyanuric acid prevents the complete mineralization of melamine as observed for atrazine and other. v-tria/incs on Ti02 photocatalysts, and the toxicity of the photocatalyzed solutions was higher than initially found for melamine [199],... 

Several hundred-pesticide compounds of diverse chemical structures are widely used in the United States and Europe for agricultural and non-agricultural purposes (Fig. 10). Some are substitutes for organochlorines, which were banned due to their toxicity, persistence, and bioaccumulation in environmental matrices. According to a report published by the US-EPA, a total of 500,000 tons of pesticides was used in 1985 [144, 145, 148]. As far as specific pesticides are concerned, worldwide consumption of Malathion and Atrazine in 1980 amounted to 24,000 and 90,000 tons, respectively [149,150]. In the Mediterranean countries, 2100 tons of Malathion (active ingredient) were sprayed during the same period compared to 9700 tons in Asia [150]. 

---