Potential for Abiotic Reduction of Pesticides in Prairie Pothole Porewaters

• Published in: Environmental science & technology Vol. 46; no. 6; pp. 3177 - 3187
• Main Authors: Zeng, Teng, Chin, Yu-Ping, Arnold, William A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 20.03.2012
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Aniline Compounds - chemistry; Applied sciences; Biodegradation; Biological and medical sciences; Biological and physicochemical properties of pollutants. Interaction in the soil; Chemical compounds; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; hydrochemistry; Kinetics; lakes; Lakes - chemistry; Natural water pollution; North America; North Dakota; organic matter; Oxidation-Reduction; Pesticides; Pesticides - chemistry; Pollution; Pollution, environment geology; Rainwaters, run off water and others; Sediments; Soil and sediments pollution; Soil and water pollution; Soil science; Sulfides - chemistry; Sulfur; Water Pollutants, Chemical - chemistry; Water treatment and pollution; Wetlands; United States; North America; North Dakota; America; Nitro compound; Agricultural chemical product; Pollutant behavior; Pesticides; Lake sediments; Interstitial water; Chemical pollution; Chemical reduction; Amine; Agriculture; Aromatic compound; Water pollution; Organic compounds
• ISSN: 0013-936X; 1520-5851; 1520-5851
• DOI: 10.1021/es203584d

Prairie pothole lakes (PPLs) are critical hydrological and ecological components of central North America and represent one of the largest inland wetland systems on Earth. These lakes are located within an agricultural region, and many of them are subject to nonpoint-source pesticide pollution. Limited attention, however, has been paid to understanding the impact of PPL water chemistry on the fate and persistence of pesticides. In this study, the abiotic reductive transformation of seven dinitroaniline pesticides was investigated in PPL sediment porewaters containing naturally abundant levels of reduced sulfur species (i.e., bisulfide (HS–) and polysulfides (S n 2–)) and dissolved organic matter (DOM). Target dinitroanilines underwent rapid degradation in PPL porewaters and were transformed into corresponding amine products. While the largest fraction of the transformation could be attributed to reduced sulfur species, experimental evidence suggested that other reactive entities in PPL porewaters, such as DOM and mineral phases, might also affect the reaction rates of dinitroanilines. Results from this study highlight the importance of reductive transformation as an abiotic natural attenuation pathway for pesticides entering the PPL sedimentary environment.