Residual Characteristics of Atrazine and Its Metabolites in the Liaoning Province of China

Abstract

The simultaneous determination of atrazine residue and its metabolites was developed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry in Liaoning Province, China. To ensure agricultural production and environmental safety, their contamination level was assessed. A total of 2142 samples were collected between 2014 and 2020, including 1213 soil samples, 190 surface water samples, and 739 groundwater samples. The overall pollution level and detectable level of the herbicides in Liaoning Province was found to be the highest in soil followed by surface water and groundwater. The residual level of the analytes in the collected samples decreased in the following order: atrazine > hydroxyatrazine > desethylatrazine > desisopropylatrazine. From 2014 to 2020, atrazine was detected in soil and surface water, whereas hydroxyatrazine was found in soil without the selected analytes detected in groundwater. The pollution of atrazine in soil was higher than that of hydroxyatrazine, desethylatrazine, and desisopropylatrazine. To maintain sustainable agricultural development, it is critical to pay attention to the residual determination of atrazine in the environment.

Keywords

• atrazine
• residual characteristics
• environmental safety
• triazine herbicide