Rab8a Is a Key Target That Melatonin Prevents Lipid Disorder from Atrazine.

Atrazine (ATZ), a widely used herbicide, disrupts mitochondrial function and lipid metabolism in the liver. Melatonin (MLT), a naturally synthesized hormone, combats mitochondrial dysfunction and alleviates lipid toxicity. However, the mechanisms behind ATZ-induced lipid metabolism toxicity and the protective effects of MLT remain unexplored. Mice were randomly assigned to four groups: control (Con), 5 mg/kg MLT, 170 mg/kg ATZ, and a cotreatment group receiving 170 mg/kg ATZ with 5 mg/kg MLT (ATZ+MLT). Additionally, we analyzed the effects of MLT and Rab8a on mRNA and proteins related to mitochondrial function and lipid metabolism disrupted by ATZ in AML12 cells. In conclusion, ATZ induced mitochondrial stress and disrupted fatty acid metabolism in mouse hepatocytes and AML12 cells. Exogenous MLT restores Rab8a levels, regulating fatty acid utilization in mitochondria and mitochondrial function. Notably, targeting Rab8a does not significantly affect mitochondrial function but prevents ATZ-induced lipid metabolism disorders in hepatocytes.

A review of the potential adverse health impacts of atrazine in humans.

Atrazine is a widely used chlorinated triazine herbicide in agricultural settings, which has raised concerns over its potential adverse effects on human health. The extensive application of atrazine has resulted in its pervasive presence in the environment, contaminating soil, groundwater, and surface water. While earlier research suggested that atrazine is unlikely to pose a health concern, recent evidence has indicated the necessity to reassess this point of view. This review aims to assess the recent evidence on atrazine's adverse effects on human health, focusing on (i) Cancer, (ii) Metabolic Diseases, (iii) Reproductive System, (iv) Neural System, and (v) Epigenetic Effects. Strategies to mitigate atrazine contamination and limitations of previous studies are also discussed. We strongly believe that further investigation is necessary to determine the potential detrimental consequences of atrazine in humans, particularly in developing countries, where herbicides are widely used without stringent safety regulations. Therefore, the current review will be beneficial for guiding future research and regulatory measures concerning the use of atrazine.

The effect of pre-treatments on atrazine removal from source water by microbubble ozonation.

Ozone-based advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have emerged a promising avenue for water treatment, offering effective removal of micropollutants. Recent research underscores the potential of ozone microbubbles to enhance ozone mass transfer during water treatment, particularly when combined with pre-treatment steps. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of three different combined processes (chlorine/KMnO4/PAC pre-treatment followed by ozonation) in removing atrazine, a common micropollutant from natural source water. Results revealed that all combined processes achieved higher atrazine removal rates compared to individual pre-treatment or ozonation methods. Notably, the highest atrazine removal rates were observed under alkaline pH conditions, with treatment outcomes influenced by oxidant dose and pH levels. Among the combined processes, chlorine pre-treatment followed by ozonation emerged as the most effective approach, achieving a removal rate of 59.7% that exceeded the sum of individual treatments. However, this treatment efficacy was affected by water quality parameters, particularly the presence of organic matter and elevated ammonia nitrogen concentration (> 0.5 mg/L). This study highlights the potential for utilizing ozone micro/nanobubbles to enhance ozone mass transfer and offers valuable insights for optimizing the combined application of pre-treatment and ozonation strategies for efficient atrazine removal from natural water sources.

Exploring the potential mechanism of atrazine-induced dopaminergic neurotoxicity based on integration strategy.

BACKGROUND: Atrazine (ATR), a commonly used herbicide, is linked to dopaminergic neurotoxicity, which may cause symptoms resembling Parkinson's disease (PD). This study aims to reveal the molecular regulatory networks responsible for ATR exposure and its effects on dopaminergic neurotoxicity based on an integration strategy. METHODS: Our approach involved network toxicology, construction of protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks, gene ontology (GO), and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis, as well as molecular docking techniques. Subsequently, we validated the predicted results in PC12 cells in vitro. RESULTS: An integrated analysis strategy indicating that 5 hub targets, including mitogen-activated protein kinase 3 (Mapk3), catalase (Cat), heme oxygenase 1 (Hmox1), tumor protein p53 (Tp53), and prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (Ptgs2), may play a crucial role in ATR-induced dopaminergic injury. Molecular docking indicated that the 5 hub targets exhibited certain binding activity with ATR. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK8) results illustrated a dose-response relationship in PC12 cells. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) displayed notable changes in the expression of hub targets mRNA levels, with the exception of Mapk3. Western blotting results suggested that ATR treatment in PC12 cells resulted in an upregulation of the Cat, Hmox1, and p-Mapk3 protein expression levels while causing a downregulation in Tp53, Ptgs2, and Mapk3. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicated that 5 hub targets identified could play a vital role in ATR-induced dopaminergic neurotoxicity in PC12 cells. These results provide preliminary support for further investigation into the molecular mechanism of ATR-induced toxicity.

Atrazine concentration detection based on NiAl-layer double hydroxides nanosheets synaptic transistor.

A transistor inspired by biological systems, which possesses synaptic and sensing capabilities, has demonstrated significant promise in the field of neuromorphic electronics and sensory systems resembling the human brain. Despite the remarkable advancements in emulating neuromorphic operations, the development of a synaptic FET with a bionic architecture, extended lifespan, minimal energy usage, and marker monitoring capability remains challenging. In this work, a synaptic transistor based on NiAl-layer double hydroxides nanosheets is reported. The synaptic transistor exhibits a significant ratio of on/off current (1.35×107) and possesses a high transconductance value (10.05 mS). The successful emulation included key synaptic characteristics, such as excitatory/inhibitory postsynaptic current, paired-pulse facilitation/depression, short-term plasticity spike amplitude-dependent plasticity, spike timing-dependent plasticity, as well as spike number-dependent plasticity. A consumption of 64.8 pJ per spike was achieved as a result of the efficient carrier transfer pathway facilitated by the nanosheets composed of double hydroxides. In addition, the FET's linear detection region (with a coefficient R2=0.811) encompassed atrazine concentrations ranging from 10 pg/mL to 0.1 µg/mL, thanks to its high surface area and significant transconductance. Therefore, this study presents a potential approach for achieving energy-efficient neuromorphic computing and high-performance synaptic devices.

Low-tech innovation: biomimetic solid-contact potentiometric sensor for nanomolar-level atrazine detection.

Despite the fact that there are already a number of solid-contact-based ion-selective electrodes designed for atrazine detection, our ground-breaking contribution lies in introducing the first-ever atrazine potentioselectrode, enabling the ultra-sensitive detection of atrazine at nanomolar levels. Solid-contact ion-selective electrodes can offer advantages, such as improved stability, reproducibility, sensitivity, and selectivity compared to their liquid-contact counterparts. Here, a biomimetic potentiometric sensor for Atrazine was developed using economic, light weight, and flexible carbon cloth as solid-contact material. Our methodology entails the synthesis of a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) through straightforward precipitation polymerization, showcasing a streamlined and efficient method for creating highly specific molecular recognition elements. The validation of template removal is confirmed via meticulous analysis employing EDX and FTIR techniques, ensuring the efficacy of our methodology. The resulting sensing membrane are casted by dispersing the MIP in 2-nitrophenyl octyl ether plasticizer and embedding it within a PVC matrix containing sodium tetraphenyl borate as a lipophilic additive. The developed sensor responds to atrazine in the pH range of 2.8-3.3 over a wide concentration range of 1 × 10-8 M to 1 × 10-5 M & 1 × 10-5 M to 1 × 10-1 M with respective slopes of 29.2 mv & 58.7 mV and a limit of detection of 1 × 10-9 M. An impressive feature of this sensor lies in its swift response time, registering a rapid reaction within a mere 10 s. Emphasize the sensor's commendable attributes of reproducibility, selectivity, and sensitivity underscoring its successful application in field monitoring.

Physiological and biochemical characteristics and microbial responses of Medicago sativa (Fabales: Fabaceae) varieties with different resistance to atrazine stress.

Atrazine, a commonly employed herbicide for corn production, can leave residues in soil, resulting in photosynthetic toxicity and impeding growth in subsequent alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) crops within alfalfa-corn rotation systems. The molecular regulatory mechanisms by which atrazine affects alfalfa growth and development, particularly its impact on the microbial communities of the alfalfa rhizosphere, are not well understood. This study carried out field experiments to explore the influence of atrazine stress on the biomass, chlorophyll content, antioxidant system, and rhizosphere microbial communities of the atrazine-sensitive alfalfa variety WL-363 and the atrazine-resistant variety JN5010. The results revealed that atrazine significantly reduced WL-363 growth, decreasing plant height by 8.58 cm and root length by 5.42 cm (p < 0.05). Conversely, JN5010 showed minimal reductions, with decreases of 1.96 cm in height and 1.26 cm in root length. Chlorophyll content in WL-363 decreased by 35% under atrazine stress, while in JN5010, it was reduced by only 10%. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation increased by 60% in WL-363, compared to a 20% increase in JN5010 (p < 0.05 for both). Antioxidant enzyme activities, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), were significantly elevated in JN5010 (p < 0.05), suggesting a more robust defense mechanism. Although the predominant bacterial and fungal abundances in rhizosphere soils remained generally unchanged under atrazine stress, specific microbial groups exhibited variable responses. Notably, Promicromonospora abundance declined in WL-363 but increased in JN5010. FAPROTAX functional predictions indicated shifts in the abundance of microorganisms associated with pesticide degradation, resistance, and microbial structure reconstruction under atrazine stress, displaying different patterns between the two varieties. This study provides insights into how atrazine residues affect alfalfa rhizosphere microorganisms and identifies differential microbial responses to atrazine stress, offering valuable reference data for screening and identifying atrazine-degrading bacteria.

Assessment of doped graphene in the removal of atrazine from water.

Atrazine is a widely used toxic herbicide that poses a threat to both the environment and human health. This study investigates the removal of Atrazine from water through armchair-hexagonal hexagonal graphene quantum dots (AHEX) simulations. The investigations are performed using density functional theory at the exchange-correlation hybrid functional B3LYP/3-21G level of theory. The activity of pristine AHEX, with a total dipole moment of 0.0 (debye), is enhanced by doping with boron (B), nitrogen (N), and sulfur atoms (S), resulting in increased total dipole moments of 8.99, 5.29, and 4.14 Debye respectively. This enhancement occurs without any structural deformation due to the doping process. Our results show significant adsorption capacity of the doped nanographene for Atrazine, evidenced by the high adsorption energies of 0.52 eV for boron, 0.62 eV for nitrogen, and 2.97 eV for sulfur. Charge distribution on the atrazine complexes further confirms effective interaction, with values of 0.03, - 0.018, and 0.032 (e). UV-vis spectroscopy reveals that the prominent absorption peaks of boron and nitrogen-doped samples, initially at ~ 658.8 and 431 nm, undergo a redshift to ~ 676 and 444.3 nm after adsorption, respectively. This redshift aligns with the dominant excitation moving to lower energies following adsorption. Conversely, the sulfurated nanographene shows a blue shift from 980.66 to 485.41 nm. These findings highlight the potential of doped nanographene as an effective treatment for atrazine-contaminated water.

Morroniside repairs atrazine-induced skin damage by ameliorating lipid metabolism disorders and inhibiting ferroptosis.

Morroniside (MOR) has shown great potential in treating atrazine (ATZ)-induced skin damage. This study aims to elucidate MOR's mechanism of action in mitigating lipid metabolism disorders and inhibiting ferroptosis to repair ATZ-induced skin damage. Twenty C57BL/6 mice were divided into four groups: the control group, the ATZ group, the MOR-H group and the MOR-L group, each comprising five mice. Following a one-month intervention, mouse skin tissues were harvested for untargeted lipid metabolomics analysis. Subsequently, the samples were assessed for indices related to ferroptosis. Untargeted lipid metabolomics analysis showed 127 differential metabolites in the ATZ vs. Ctrl group. There were 57 differential metabolites in the MOR-L vs. ATZ group. 34 differential metabolites in the MOR-H vs. ATZ group. the most obvious lipid reversal occurred after MOR-L administration, which primarily involved phospholipids, ceramides, and sphingomyelins. The levels of GPX4, Ferritin, MDA, SOD and GSH-PX, ferroptosis-related indicators, and the levels of p21 and p53, apoptosis-related indicators, were most significantly regressed in the MOR-L group (all P < 0.05). MOR may delay cellular aging and correct skin damage by reversing ATZ-induced lipid metabolism disorders, inhibiting ferroptosis and excessive oxidative stress occurrence.

The role of predation and pesticides in shaping phytoplankton dynamics in a short microcosms experiment.

Aquatic organisms are subject to various forcing factors that affect their structure, some of which are natural, while others result from human activities, both having variable effects. This study aimed to determine the importance of a natural stressor (zooplankton) and an herbicide (atrazine) on phytoplankton density and morphological composition in a microcosm experiment. A natural phytoplankton assemblage was exposed to two zooplankton predators: a copepod (Argyrodiaptomus falcifer) and a cladoceran (Ceriodaphnia dubia), and to atrazine (27 µg L-1), in three combinations of factors (zooplankton treatments (Z), atrazine treatment (A), the combination of both (ZA)) plus a Control. The experiment lasted 48 h. Samples were taken at the beginning and the end of the experiment, and relevant limnological variables, including inorganic nutrient concentrations, were considered. Results indicated differences in phytoplankton densities when treatments were compared with Control. In this respect, Chlorophyceae, Euglenophyceae, and Bacillariophyceae exhibited more changes than other phytoplankton classes. Chlorophyceae densities tended to be higher in the Control than in the treatments; the combination of zooplankton and atrazine favored Euglenophyceae, while atrazine favored Bacillariophyceae densities. Regarding morphological groups, unicellular and small colonies (<35 µm), showed differences between the Control and particularly with Z treatment, colonial-cenobia forms were negatively affected by atrazine and silica forms were favored by both stressors combined. It is concluded that interactions among natural and anthropogenic stressors could be complex, influencing factors such as phytoplankton taxonomical affinities, morphological groups, and the nature of the stressor applied.

Impact of superabsorbent hydrogels on microbial community and atrazine fate in soils by 14C-labeling techniques.

The accumulation of atrazine in soils can create environmental challenges, potentially posing risks to human health. Superabsorbent hydrogel (SH)-based formulations offer an eco-friendly approach to accelerate herbicide degradation. However, the impact of SHs on soil microbial community structure, and thus on the fate of atrazine, remains uncertain. In this study, a radioactive tracer was employed to investigate the influence of SHs on microbial communities and atrazine transformation in soils. The results revealed that the mineralization of atrazine in active soils was considerably greater than that in sterilized soils. Atrazine degradation proceeded rapidly under SH treatment, indicating the potential of SH to accelerate atrazine degradation. Furthermore, SH addition did not alter the atrazine degradation pathway in soils, which included dealkylation, dechlorination and hydroxylation. The relative abundance of dominant microbial population was influenced by the presence of SHs in the soil. Additionally, SH application led to an increased relative abundance of Lysobacter, suggesting its potential involvement in atrazine degradation. These findings reveal the significance of soil microorganisms and SH in atrazine degradation, offering crucial insights for the development of effective strategies for atrazine remediation and environmental sustainability.

Biochar modification accelerates soil atrazine biodegradation by altering bacterial communities, degradation-related genes and metabolic pathways.

Atrazine is one of the most used herbicides, posing non-neglectable threats to ecosystem and human health. This work studied the performance and mechanisms of surface-modified biochar in accelerating atrazine biodegradation by exploring the changes in atrazine metabolites, bacterial communities and atrazine degradation-related genes. Among different types of biochar, nano-hydroxyapatite modified biochar achieved the highest degradation efficiency (85.13 %), mainly attributing to the increasing pH, soil organic matter, soil humus, and some enriched indigenous bacterial families of Bradyrhizobiaceae, Rhodospirillaceae, Methylophilaceae, Micrococcaceae, and Xanthobacteraceae. The abundance of 4 key atrazine degradation-related genes (atzA, atzB, atzC and triA) increased after biochar amendment, boosting both dechlorination and dealkylation pathways in atrazine metabolism. Our findings evidenced that biochar amendment could accelerate atrazine biodegradation by altering soil physicochemical properties, microbial composition and atrazine degradation pathways, providing clues for improving atrazine biodegradation performance at contaminated sites.

Carbon-14 labeled transformation of atrazine in soils: Comparison of superabsorbent hydrogel coating and technical material.

Atrazine exhibits adverse effects on diverse organisms in both terrestrial and aquatic environments, even though it effectively targets specific organisms. This study employed superabsorbent hydrogels to coat 14C-atrazine coupled with a four-compartment model to determine the fate of this herbicide in three oxic soils over a 100-day incubation period. Mineralization of atrazine was limited in all soils, with rates remaining below 3.5 %. The encapsulation treatment reduced mineralization of atrazine in soil A and soil B. Bound residues ranged from 26.1 to 43.6 % at 100 d. The encapsulation treatment enhanced the degradation of atrazine and reduced the content of deethylatrazine in soil A, but significantly increased the content of deisopropylatrazine in soil A and hydroxyatrazine in soil C. Using the obtained data, we also constructed a four-compartment model to clarify the relationships among the parent compound, degradation products, bound residues, and mineralization. This model accurately fits the fate of atrazine in the present work. Additionally, the correlation study suggested that both soil parameters and superabsorbent hydrogels played significant roles in influencing atrazine transformation. These findings serve as a reference for evaluating the environmental impact of superabsorbent hydrogels in atrazine pollution reduction and offer a foundational model approach for a comprehensive understanding of organic pollutants.

Assessing the impact of soil microbial fuel cells on atrazine removal in soil.

Widespread pesticide use in agriculture is a major source of soil pollution, driving biodiversity loss and posing serious threads to human health. The recalcitrant nature of most of these pesticides demands for effective remediation strategies. In this study, we assess the ability of soil microbial fuel cell (SMFC) technology to bioremediate soil polluted by the model pesticide atrazine. To elucidate the degradation mechanism and consequently define effective implementation strategies, we provide the first comprehensive investigation of the SMFC performance, in which the monitoring of the electrochemical performance of the system is combined with Quadrupole Time-of-Flight (QTOF) mass spectrometry and microbial analyses. Our results show that, while both SMFC and natural attenuation lead to a reduction on atrazine levels, the SMFC modulates the activity of different microbial pathways. As a result, atrazine degradation by natural attenuation leads to high levels of deisoproylatrazine (DIPA), a very toxic degradation metabolite, while DIPA levels in soil treated by SMFC remain comparatively low. The beta diversity and differential abundance analyses revealed how the microbial community evolves over time in the SMFCs degrading atrazine, demonstrating the enrichment of electroactive taxa on the anode, and the enrichment of a mixture of electroactive and atrazine-degrading taxa at the cathode. The detection and taxonomic classification of peripheral atrazine degrading genes, atzA, atzB and atzC, was carried out in combination with the differential abundance analysis. Results revealed that these genes are likely harboured by members of the order Rhizobiales enriched at the cathode, thus promoting atrazine degradation via the conversion of hydroxyatrazine (HA) into N-isopropylammelide (NIPA), as confirmed by mass spectrometry data. Overall, the comprehensive approach adopted in this work, provides fundamental insights into the degradation pathways of atrazine in soil by SMFC technology, which is critical for practical applications, thus suggesting an effective approach to advance research in the field.

Accumulated inflammation and fibrosis participate in atrazine induced ovary toxicity in mice.

Atrazine is a widely used herbicide in agricultural production. Previous studies have shown that atrazine affects hormone secretion and oocyte maturation in female reproduction. However, the specific mechanism by which atrazine affects ovarian function remains unclear. In this study, using a mouse gastric lavage model, we report that four weeks of atrazine exposure affects body growth, interferes with the estrous cycle, and increases the number of atretic follicles in mice. The expression levels of follicle development related factors StAR, BMP15, and AMH decreased. Metabolomic analysis revealed that atrazine activates an inflammatory response in ovarian tissue. Further studies confirmed that the expression levels of TNF-α, IL-6, and NF-κB increased in the ovaries of mice exposed to atrazine. Additionally, α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) accumulated in ovarian tissue, and transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) signaling was activated, indicating the occurrence of tissue fibrosis. Moreover, mice exposed to atrazine produced fewer oocytes and exhibited reduced embryonic development. Furthermore, mice exposed to atrazine exhibited altered gut microbiota abundance and a disrupted colon barrier. Collectively, these findings suggest that atrazine exposure induces ovarian inflammation and fibrosis, disrupts ovarian homeostasis, and impairs follicle maturation, ultimately reducing oocyte quality.

Does the atrazine increase animal mortality: Unraveling through a meta-analytic study.

Atrazine is one of the most used herbicides in the world, although it is banned in several countries. Pollution of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems represents a threat to non-target organisms, with various damages already reported in different species. However, there is controversy in studies on atrazine. The question of whether atrazine increases animal mortality is not yet clearly resolved. In this context, this study aimed to carry out a meta-analytic review, focusing on studies on environmental concentrations of the herbicide atrazine to evaluate its lethal effects on various animal species. We identified and analyzed 107 datasets through a selection process that used the Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science (WoS) databases. A significant increase in the mortality rate of animals exposed to environmental concentrations of atrazine was observed. Nematodes, amphibians, molluscs, insects, and fish showed increased mortality after exposure to atrazine. Animals in the larval and juvenile stages showed greater susceptibility when exposed to different concentrations of atrazine. Furthermore, both commercial and pure formulations resulted in high mortality rates for exposed animals. Atrazine and other pesticides had a synergistic effect, increasing the risk of mortality in animals. There are still many gaps to be filled, and this study can serve as a basis for future regulations involving atrazine.

The influence of vermicompost on atrazine microbial degradation performance and pathway in black soil, Northeast China.

The atrazine (ATR) is extensively used in dryland crops like corn and sorghum in black soil region of Northeast China, posing ecological risks due to toxic metabolites. Vermicompost are known for soil organic pollution remediation but their role in pesticide degradation in black soil remains understudied. The influence of vermicompost on the microbial degradation pathway of atrazine was assessed in this study. Although vermicompost didn't significantly boost atrazine removal, they notably aided in primary metabolite degradation, hydroxyatrazine (HYA), deisopropylatrazine (DIA), and deethylatrazine (DEA), reducing their content by 38.67 %. They also altered the soil microbial community structure, favoring atrazine-degrading bacteria like Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteria. Five secondary degradation products were identified in vermicompost treatments. Atrazine degradation occurred via dechlorination, dealkylation, and deamination pathways mainly by Nocardioidacea, Streptomycetaceae, Bacillaceae, Sphingomonadaceae, Comamonadaceae and Nitrososphaeraceae. pH and available nitrogen (AN) influenced microbial community structure and atrazine degradation, correlating with vermicompost application rates. Future black soil remediation should optimize application rates based on atrazine content and soil properties.

Tracking atrazine degradation in soil combining 14C-mineralisation assays and compound-specific isotope analysis.

The quantification of pesticide dissipation in agricultural soil is challenging. In this study, we investigated atrazine biodegradation in both liquid and soil experiments bioaugmented with distinct atrazine-degrading bacterial isolates. This was achieved by combining 14C-mineralisation assays and compound-specific isotope analysis of atrazine. In liquid experiments, the three bacterial isolates mineralised over 40% of atrazine, demonstrating their potential for extensive degradation. However, the kinetics of mineralisation and degradation varied among the isolates. Carbon stable isotope fractionation was similar for Pseudomonas isolates ADPT34 and ADP2T0, but slightly higher for Chelatobacter SR27. In soil experiments, atrazine primarily degraded into atrazine-desethyl, while atrazine-hydroxy was mainly observed in experiments with SR27. Atrazine mineralisation in soil by ADPT34 and SR27 exceeded 40%, whereas ADP2T0 exhibited a mineralisation rate of 10%. In experiments with ADPT34 and SR27, atrazine 14C-residues were predominantly found in the non-extractable fraction, whereas they accumulated in the extractable fraction in the experiment with ADP2T0. Compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA) relies on changes of stable isotope ratios and holds potential to evaluate herbicide transformation in soil. CSIA of atrazine indicated atrazine biodegradation in water and solvent extractable soil fractions and varied between 29% and 52%, depending on the bacterial isolate. Despite atrazine degradation in both soil fractions, a significant portion of atrazine residues persisted, depending on the bacterial degrader, initial cell concentration, and mineralisation and degradation rates. Overall, our approach can aid in quantifying atrazine persistence and degradation in soil, and in optimizing bioaugmentation strategies for remediating soils contaminated with persistent herbicides.

A surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (SEIRA) multivariate approach for atrazine detection.

A green, fast and effective multivariate method for the determination of atrazine (ATZ) was developed using conventional infrared equipment furnished with an attenuated total reflectance module (ATR-IR), providing limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) in the ranges from 1.9 to 4.6 µg/mL and from 5.6 to 14 µg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, the surface-enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA) approach was investigated to improve the sensitivity of the measurements and detect ATZ at low concentrations, addressing the compatibility with reference methods. To this end, a substrate formed by silver selenide quantum dots stabilized with mercaptopropionic acid (Ag2Se/MPA), synthesized in aqueous medium by an one-pot synthesis, was used. The spectral data were investigated by univariate and multivariate calibrations, allowing to calculate the enhancement factor (EF) and the multivariate enhancement factor (MEF), respectively. The SEIRA strategy proved to be able to enhance the atrazine signal up to 86-fold, allowing the detection of ATZ at concentrations as low as 0.001 µg/mL.

Atrazine promotes cholangiocarcinoma cell proliferation and migration via GPER-mediated PI3K/Akt/NF-κB pathway.

Atrazine (ATZ), an herbicide widely distributed on a global scale, possess a potential risk for the development of various cancers upon environmental exposure. However, the effect and molecular mechanism of ATZ in cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), is still unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effect of ATZ on the proliferation and migration of CCA cell in vitro. Immortalized human cholangiocytes (MMNK-1) and three CCA cell lines (KKU-055, KKU-100 and KKU-213B) were treated with 0.01 to 100 µM of ATZ and 17ß-estradiol (E2). The results showed that, similar to E2, low doses (0.01 to 1 µM) of ATZ promoted the proliferation of all CCA and MMNK-1 cells. ATZ exposure increased non-genomic G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) expression in the cell membrane and cytoplasm of KKU-213B and KKU-055 cells via G2/M cell cycle accumulation. This, in turn, promoted the proliferation and migration of CCA cells. ATZ exposure induced the upregulation of GPER and increased expression levels of PI3K, p-PI3K, Akt, p-Akt, NF-κB and PCNA. In contrast, following ATZ treatment, the GPER antagonist G15 significantly downregulated the GPER/PI3K/Akt/NF-κB pathway. These results suggest that ATZ promotes CCA cell proliferation and migration through the GPER/PI3K/Akt/NF-κB pathway. This information can enhance public health awareness regarding ATZ contamination to prevent the relative risk of CCA.