USGS Science⌕ Search

Geology topics

D.S. Aga

Publications and source records attributed to D.S. Aga.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
USGS2001

Formation and transport of the sulfonic acid metabolites of alachlor and metolachlor in soil

Alachlor and metolachlor are dechlorinated and transformed into their corresponding ethane sulfonic acid (ESA) metabolites in soil. In a field-disappearance study, it was shown that alachlor ESA was formed at a faster rate and at concentrations 2−4 times higher than metolachlor ESA, conforming with the observed longer disappearance half-life of metolachlor (15.5 d) in the field as compared to alachlor (8 d). Runoff data also showed higher concentrations of alachlor ESA as compared to metolachlor ESA, even though they were applied at the same levels. Data from soil cores showed transport of the ESA compounds in soil to as far down as 75−90 cm below the surface, at concentrations ranging from less than 0.5 μg/L to about 50 μg/L. In contrast, no parent herbicide was detected at these depths. This observation correlates with the higher log K oc values for alachlor (3.33) and metolachlor (3.01) relative to their corresponding ESA metabolites, alachlor ESA (2.26), and metolachlor ESA (2.29).

Environmental Science & Technology↗
USGS2001

Regional water-quality analysis of 2,4-D and dicamba in river water using gas chromatography-isotope dilution mass spectrometry

Gas chromatography with isotope dilution mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were used in regional National Water Quality Assessment studies of the herbicides, 2,4-D and dicamba, in river water across the United States. The GC-MS method involved solid-phase extraction, derivatized with deuterated 2,4-D, and analysis by selected ion monitoring. The ELISA method was applied after preconcentration with solid-phase extraction. The ELISA method was unreliable because of interference from humic substances that were also isolated by solid-phase extraction. Therefore, GC-MS was used to analyzed 80 samples from river water from 14 basins. The frequency of detection of dicamba (28%) was higher than that for 2,4-D (16%). Concentrations were higher for dicamba than for 2,4-D, ranging from less than the detection limit (7lt; 0.05 μg/L) to 3.77μg/L, in spite of 5 times more annual use of 2,4-D as compared to dicamba. These results suggest that 2,4-D degrades more rapidly in the environment than dicamba.

International Journal of Environmental Analytical ↗
USGS2001

Detection of pesticides and pesticide metabolites using the cross reactivity of enzyme immunoassays

Enzyme immunoassay is an important environmental analysis method that may be used to identify many pesticide analytes in water samples. Because of similarities in chemical structure between various members of a pesticide class, there often may be an unwanted response that is characterized by a percentage of cross reactivity. Also, there may be cross reactivity caused by degradation products of the target analyte that may be present in the sample. In this paper, the concept of cross reactivity caused by degradation products or by nontarget analytes is explored as a tool for identification of metabolites or structurally similar compounds not previously known to be present in water samples. Two examples are examined in this paper from various water quality studies. They are alachlor and its metabolite, alachlor ethane sulfonic acid, and atrazine and its class members, prometryn and propazine. A method for using cross reactivity for the detection of these compounds is explained in this paper.

Journal of AOAC International↗
USGS1998

Evaluation of microtiter-plate enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the analysis of triazine and chloroacetanilide herbicides in rainfall

Triazine and chloroacetanilide concentrations in rainfall samples collected from a 23-state region of the United States were analyzed with microtiter-plate enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Thirty-six percent of rainfall samples (2072 out of 5691) were confirmed using gas chro matography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) to evaluate the operating performance of ELISA as a screening test. Comparison of ELISA to GC/MS results showed that the two ELISA methods accurately reported GC/MS results ( m = 1), but with more variability evident with the triazine than with the chloroacetanilide ELISA. Bayes's rule, a standardized method to report the results of screening tests, indicated that the two ELISA methods yielded comparable predictive values (80%), but the triazine ELISA yielded a false-positive rate of 11.8% and the chloroacetanilide ELISA yielded a false-negative rate of 23.1%. The false-positive rate for the triazine ELISA may arise from cross reactivity with an unknown triazine or metabolite. The false-negative rate of the chloroacetanilide ELISA probably resulted from a combination of low sensitivity at the reporting limit of 0.15 μg/L and a distribution characterized by 75% of the samples at or below the reporting limit of 0.15 μg/L.

Environmental Science & Technology↗
USGS1996

Occurrence of alachlor and its sulfonated metabolite in rivers and reservoirs of the midwestern United States: The importance of sulfonation in the transport of chloroacetanilide herbicides

Alachlor and its metabolite, 2-[(2',6'-diethylphenyl)- (methoxymethyl)amino]-2-oxoethanesulfonate (ESA), were identified in 76 reservoirs in the midwestern United States using immunoassay, liquid chromatography, and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The median concentration of ESA (0.48 ??g/L) exceeded the median concentration of alachlor (<0.05 ??g/L), with highest values in the upper Midwest. ESA also was detected in the Mississippi River from the mouth to the headwaters at concentrations of 0.2-1.5 ??g/L, exceeding the concentration of alachlor. In a field runoff study, alachlor rapidly formed ESA. It is hypothesized that a glutathione conjugate forms, which later oxidizes in soil to ESA. The removal of the chlorine atom lessens the toxicity of the parent compound and increases runoff potential. It is hypothesized further that sulfonic acid metabolites of other chloroacetanilides, including acetochlor, butachlor, metolachlor, and propachlor, also occur in surface water.

Midwest↗
USGS1996

Identification of a new sulfonic acid metabolite of metolachlor in soil

An ethanesulfonic acid metabolite of metolachlor (metolachlor ESA) was identified in soil-sample extracts by negative-ion, fast-atom bombardment mass spectrometry (FAB-MS) and FAB tandem mass spectrometry (FAB-MS/MS). Production fragments from MS/MS analysis of the deprotonated molecular ion of metolachlor ESA in the soil extract can be reconciled with the structure of the synthesized standard. The elemental compositions of the (M - H)- ions of the metolachlor ESA standard and the soil-sample extracts were confirmed by high-resolution mass spectrometry. A dissipation study revealed that metolachlor ESA is formed in soil under field conditions corresponding to a decrease in the concentration of the parent herbicide, metolachlor. The identification of the sulfonated metabolite of metolachlor suggests that the glutathione conjugation pathway is a common detoxification pathway shared by chloroacetanilide herbicides.

Environmental Science & Technology↗