Environmental Fate of Various Herbicides Produced in Hungary

Rita Földényi, Renáta Rauch, and Zsófia Lengyel

Department of Environmental Engineering and Chemical Technology, University of Veszprém, Veszprém, Hungary

Corresponding author: Rita Földényi
    P.O. Box 158, H-8201 Veszprém, Hungary
    Telephone: (+36) 88 422 22, Ext. 4404
    Fax number: (+36) 88 425 049
    E-mail: foldenyi@almos.vein.hu

CEJOEM 2000, Vol.6. No.2-3.:92-101

Key words:
Adsorption, chloro acetanilide, 2.4-dichloro phenol, groundwater, herbicides, pollution, and soil

Abbreviations:
AD-67 = antidote 67, C10H15Cl2NO2
BET = Brunaer-Emmett-Teller
2.4-D = 2.4-dichloro phenoxy acetic acid
DCP = dichloro phenol
ECD = electron capture detector
EC50 = the concentration that produces 50% of the maximal effect
ED50 = effective dose is the dose of an agent that is required to produce a specifical intensity of effect in 50% of the experimental subjects
Et = ethyl
FID = flame ionization detector
IPr = isopropyl
GC = gas chromatography
HPLC = high performance liquid chromatography
LC50 = lethal concentration in mg/m3 that produces death in 50% of experimental animals
LD50 = lethal dose in mg/kg that produces death in 50% of experimental animals
NOEL = non-effective level
TCP = trichloro phenol

Abstract:
The Hungarian chemical industry produces large amounts of chloro acetanilide-, phenoxy acetic acid type herbicides and even antidotes for the agriculture. The hazardous waste generated during the different technologies appears as soil and water contamination, while the agricultural application leads to similar impacts at lower concentration ranges.
    Direct soil pollution occurs in both cases, and the contaminants can reach the groundwater by the soil solution.
    The study of the behavior of the compounds mentioned above is very important in order to predict how harmful their production and application to the environment is, and it can also help with solutions from the point of view of pollution.
    Wells on the territory of a plant producing chloro acetanilide herbicides were checked during a period of three months. The groundwater was polluted not only by the compounds used and formed there but also by other contaminants coming from other technologies. Besides the acetochlor and propisochlor produced in that area 2.4-dichloro phenol was also detected in very high concentration in the wells. This compound is the intermedier of the 2.4-dichloro phenoxy acetic acid (2.4-D) and means cancer hazard to humans.
    According to ecotoxicological data fish and Daphnia are sensitive to acetochlor. As this is the main product of the firm, even soil contamination was studied. The partition of this compound between the soil and soil solution resulted in high concentrations in both phases, showing that this herbicide can endanger the soil as well as the aquatic environment.

Received:  31 July 2000
Accepted: 14  September 2000
| Back |