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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #123564
Title: AN ATRAZINE DEGRADING FUNGUS ISOLATED FROM REED CANARYGRASS

Author
item RUPASSARA, INDU - UNIV OF ILLINOIS
item LARSON, RICHARD - UNIV OF ILLINOIS
item SIMS, GERALD
item PEDERSON, DIANNE - UNIV OF ILLINOIS
item SANFORD, ROBERT - UNIV OF ILLINOIS

Submitted to: In Situ and on Site Bioremediation Symposium Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/12/2001
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Wide usage of atrazine (2-chloro-4-ethylamino-6-isopropylamino-s-triazine) as a herbicide in agriculture has lead to numerous environmental and health concerns. Risks involved as a natural water contaminant have lead USEPA to impose maximum contamination levels in drinking water. Decontamination of atrazine residues from aquatic systems using a fungus isolated from reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea) is reported. Reed canarygrass did not degrade atrazine; however, a fungus associated with its seeds degraded atrazine with a first half life of 4.5 days after an initial growth and degradation lag period of two weeks when seeds were grown in an aquatic synthetic nutrient solution containing 50 ppb of UL- 14C atrazine. The fungus was capable of degrading atrazine also in the absence of plants, though at a slower rate (half life = 12 days). Samples were maintained in a growth chamber under day (15 hr) and night (9 hr) conditions and regular aliquots were taken to determine remaining atrazine and metabolites produced using high performane liquid chromatography with radiodetection. Numerous fungal atrazine metabolites were determined. The fungus was isolated and maintained on potato dextrose agar. The isolate was identified as a Penicillium species, based on microscopic observations of conidial and vegetative morphology.