Agrochemicals Detection, Treatment and Remediation

Pesticides and Chemical Fertilizers

Majeti Narasimha Vara Prasad

• Publisher: Butterworth-Heinemann
• Year: 2020
• Print ISBN: 9780081030172
• eBook ISBN: 9780081030189
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Environmental Management
• Index: Technology & Engineering

Agrochemicals Detection, Treatment and Remediation focuses on the latest research surrounding the detection and remediation of a new generation of agrochemical contaminants. The book defines the occurrence, sources, types and effects of agrochemicals, including herbicides, insecticides, fungicides and soil fumigants in the environment. The book covers both advanced physical and chemical methods for the abatement of these emerging contaminants in environmental media. Environmental Engineers and Researchers will find this to be a valuable reference on advanced processes for resource recovery, including nanotechnology for the recovery of phosphate from fertilizer industry wastewater.- Provides the latest physical and chemical methods used for the abatement of chemical fertilizers and pesticides- Covers genetically engineered microbes for the remediation of a wide range of agrochemicals- Presents methods for determining the occurrence, sources, types and effects of agrochemical on environmental media- Includes unique case studies from across the globe

Chapter 1

Biodegradation of pesticides by adapted fungi. Potential use on biopurification systems?

A.P. Pinto^{1, 2}, D.M. Teixeira^{1, 3}, A.T. Caldeira^{1, 3} and S.C. Rodrigues¹, ¹Chemistry Department of Science and Technology School, Évora University, Évora, Portugal, ²ICAAM—Institute of Mediterranean Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Évora University, Evora, Portugal, ³HERCULES Laboratory, Évora University, Evora, Portugal

Abstract

Biopurification systems (BPSs) constitute a valuable approach to mitigate/reduce the contamination of water sources with pesticides. These systems employ the degrading capacity of a biomixture to avoid/minimize, in a simple and low cost way, the pollution of discharging of pesticide-containing wastewater in the aquatic environment.

Therefore processes and parameters controlling depuration ability of BPSs should be a priority research issue due to the lack of alternative treatments.

The aim of this work was to evaluate the performance of three fungi, selected and isolated from different primed materials, to biodegrade the pesticides terbuthylazine, difenoconazole, diflufenican, and pendimethalin, in a biomixture containing soil and cork as substrate. Experiments using only sterilized soil were carried out as control. Each fungus species was inoculated individually (in the biomixture or soil), and their ability to biodegrade the target pesticides was evaluated during 120 days.

All the fungi strains inoculated (Fusarium oxysporum PP0030, Paecilomyces variotii PP0040, and Trichoderma viride PP0050), proved to be valuable as active pesticide-degrading microorganisms, demonstrating a very high biotransformation ability of the target pesticides, particularly in the biomixture.

F. oxysporum PP0030 generally biodegraded higher amounts of the pesticides terbuthylazine, difenoconazole, and diflufenican, followed by P. variotii PP0040 and T. viride PP0050. After 120 days, maximum biodegradation of terbuthylazine, difenoconazole, and diflufenican, in inoculated biomixture with F. oxysporum PP0030, was 89.4%, 81.5%, and 74.7%, respectively. Moreover, a biodegradation for pendimethalin close to 100% was achieved by all fungi.

This paper is also a breakthrough in the understanding of the metabolic pathways used by fungi to biodegrade pesticides. With the results presented, it seems to be clear that the metabolization of terbuthylazine by fungi follows different metabolic routes in different media, leading to the production of different metabolites. This conclusion had already been advanced in our previous studies, using the white-rot fungus Lentinula edodes, being now reiterated and confirmed with different fungi species.

In this study, it was also possible to identify a pendimethalin metabolite that had already been indicated as a degradation product of this herbicide by bacteria, but as far as we know, it was never described as an intermediate metabolite of pendimethalin biotransformation by fungi.

Sorption process to cork by pesticides studied proved to be a reversible process, which potentially allows the complete biodegradation of the pesticides. This reversibility of the pesticides’ sorption processes on cork establishes that the use of these biomixtures can reduce the amount of contaminated waste by using the same substrate in successive applications of wastewaters, increasing the sustainability of the system.

In conclusion, our results are very useful and can be used as important data in the construction of sustainable BPS, suitable for the depuration and detoxification of wastewaters containing the target pesticide or other with similar intrinsic characteristics, contributing to the protection of aquatic resources as well as maintaining their quality and reducing the wastes.

Keywords

Biobed; biodegradation; difenoconazole; diflufenican; fungi; pendimethalin; pollution; terbuthylazine; water resources

1.1 Introduction

Agricultural production includes the use of different agrochemicals and, in many cases, complex mixtures of products, which can be incorporated into different environmental compartments causing (1) diffuse contamination via percolation, runoff, drainage, and drift or (2) events of point-source contamination, as accidental pesticide spills, and inadequate disposal of residues or washing residues from application (Alfonso et al., 2017; De Wilde, 2009; Delgado-Moreno et al., 2019; Gao et al., 2015; Pinto et al., 2012; Ruiz-Hidalgo et al., 2014; Spliid et al., 2006; Tortella et al., 2010).

Surface and ground waters face a serious deterioration, due to the use of pesticides especially in areas with intense agricultural activities, that may have environmental and human health consequences. The increasing risk of pollution in water resources is now a topic of considerable environmental concern due to the increasing number of different and recalcitrant compounds detected and has required the need to establish strict standards by the European Commission (EC), according to the classification of the hydric environment purposes, to prevent and control water pollution (Chen et al., 2019; Herrero-Hernández et al., 2013; Palma et al., 2009). Accordingly the European Union has established different directives, such as the Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC, the main objective of which is to protect water quality [European Commission (EC), 2000]. In 2008 Directive No. 2008/105/EC was introduced, establishing a list of 33 priority substances to be controlled in water, with a third of the list being pesticides [European Commission (EC), 2008].

In this respect the use of biopurification systems (BPSs) arises as a promising strategy to mitigate the impact of pesticides on the environment. BPSs were designed to retain and degrade pesticides through the properties of a biomixture (mixture of different biomaterials and soil in different percentages), which employs the degrading capacity of microorganisms to enhance, in a simple and low cost way, the depuration and detoxification of pesticide-containing wastewaters (Fogg and Boxall, 2004; Jiménez-Gamboa et al., 2018; Ruiz-Hidalgo et al., 2014; Tortella et al., 2010). The efficacy of these systems depends largely on the composition of the biomixture, which is a key factor in building a BPS (Castillo et al., 2008; Jiménez-Gamboa et al., 2018; Karanasios et al., 2010; Pinto et al., 2012). According to previous studies, the selection of organic materials to be used as a biofilter is critical. The biofilter efficiency on wastewater decontamination depends on the sorption capacity of the material and on the presence of a microbial biomass active, genotypic and phenotypic versatile for the degradation of different residues even at high concentrations (Coppola et al., 2011; Karas et al., 2015; Pinto et al., 2012, 2016). Indeed, microbial degradation of pesticides is the most important and effective way to remove these compounds from the environment. Microorganisms have the ability to interact, both chemically and physically, with substances leading to structural changes or complete degradation of the target molecules. Among the microbial communities, bacteria and fungi are the main transformers and pesticide degraders (Diez, 2010; Pinto et al., 2016, 2012). Although bacteria are of extreme importance in the process, fungi have also a leading role, in particular the white-rot fungi (WRF), for which the degradation of a wide range of pollutants is well known (Asgher et al., 2008; Bending et al., 2002; Blánquez et al., 2008; Borràs et al., 2010; Doddapaneni and Yadav, 2004; Gao et al., 2010; Harazono and Nakamura, 2005; Kamei et al., 2011; Marco-Urrea et al., 2008; Rodríguez-Rodríguez et al., 2013, 2014; Ruiz-Hidalgo et al., 2014; Torres-Duarte et al., 2009; Zhou et al., 2007). Consequently, besides the innate fungal microbiota within biomixtures, the bioaugmentation, that is, the supplementing of microbes that have certain favorable metabolic traits into BPS, constitutes a potent...

Table of contents

• Cover image
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Copyright
• List of contributors
• About the editor
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Chapter 1. Biodegradation of pesticides by adapted fungi. Potential use on biopurification systems?
• Chapter 2. Influence of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides on soil health and soil microbiology
• Chapter 3. Phytotoxicity, environmental and health hazards of herbicides: challenges and ways forward
• Chapter 4. Impacts of agrochemicals on soil microbiology and food quality
• Chapter 5. Emerging agrochemicals contaminants: current status, challenges, and technological solutions
• Chapter 6. Chemical fertilizers and pesticides: role in groundwater contamination
• Chapter 7. Impact of agrochemicals on soil health
• Chapter 8. Sorption and desorption of agro-pesticides in soils
• Chapter 9. Bioaugmentation an effective strategy to improve the performance of biobeds: a review
• Chapter 10. Lichens as a source and indicator of agrochemicals
• Chapter 11. Biofertilizers as substitute to commercial agrochemicals
• Chapter 12. Agrochemical usage for sustainable fruit production and human health
• Chapter 13. Earthworm-assisted bioremediation of agrochemicals
• Chapter 14. Vermiremediation of agrochemicals
• Chapter 15. Efficient phosphate recovery from fertilizer wastewater stream through simultaneous Ca and F ions removal
• Chapter 16. African perspective of chemical usage in agriculture and horticulture—their impact on human health and environment
• Chapter 17. Chitosan conjugates, microspheres, and nanoparticles with potential agrochemical activity
• Chapter 18. Advances in agrochemical remediation using nanoparticles
• Chapter 19. Nanotechnology and remediation of agrochemicals
• Chapter 20. Nanomaterials for remediations of agrochemicals
• Chapter 21. Green technologies for the removal of agrochemicals by aquatic plants
• Chapter 22. Mycoremediation of agrochemicals
• Chapter 23. Biochar-mediated soils for efficient use of agrochemicals
• Index