Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Phenoxy herbicides’ interactions with river bottom sediments

  • Sediments, Sec 2 • Physical and Biogeochemical Processes • Research Article
  • Published:
Journal of Soils and Sediments Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

MCPA (2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxy acetic acid) and 2,4-D (2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid) have a relatively high water solubility (> 20,000 mg L−1 at 20 °C) and a few studies have examined the affinity of these herbicides for river sediments. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the concentrations of MCPA and 2,4-D quantified in bottom sediments were associated with the characteristics and herbicide sorption-desorption parameters determined for these sediments.

Materials and methods

Sixty surface bottom sediments samples (15 cm3) and water column samples (1 L) were collected from 12 sampling sites distributed across selected rivers in a prairie province of Canada, with each site being sampled four to seven times during the summer 2016. The concentrations of MCPA and 2,4-D in the sediment and water column samples were quantified by a gas chromatography coupled to triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. Sediment characteristics included determinations of the organic carbon content (OC), the percentages of sand, silt, and clay by the pipette method, as well as detailed particle size distributions (PSD) as determined using a laser diffraction particle size analyzer. Sorption of 2,4-D and MCPA by sediments was determined using standard batch equilibrium method.

Results and discussion

Sediments with larger OC contents had relatively larger sorption and smaller desorption when their unimodal PSD had a narrow range (1 to 60 μm), but relatively smaller sorption and larger desorption when their unimodal PSD had a broader range (1 to 1000 μm) thus coarser particle sizes. Sediments with smaller OC contents always had relatively smaller sorption and larger desorption. The detection frequencies and concentrations in sediments were substantially greater for MCPA than 2,4-D even though batch-equilibrium experiments showed that sediments sorbed significantly less MCPA than 2,4-D. Neither MCPA nor 2,4-D concentrations detected in sediments were significantly correlated with sediment properties or their sorption-desorption characteristics. However, the detection frequencies and concentrations in water column samples were also substantially greater for MCPA than 2,4-D.

Conclusions

Relatively to 2,4-D, MCPA was more frequently detected in the sediments and in greater concentrations because the more frequent presence of MCPA in the water column allowed for greater opportunities for MCPA to partition to sediments. Thus, the water column loadings of MCPA and 2,4-D, and not sediment characteristics, are the driving force for determining their frequency and concentrations in sediments.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • AEP (2015) Overview of 2013 pesticide sales in Alberta. Alberta environment parks. Land policy branch. Edmonton 80. https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/482d80ff-d4be-402a-b5b4-a0b641a3a019/resource/31ea4dc9-01ea-4fe4-8f06-4107ca078626/download/overview2013pesticidesales-aug-2015.pdf. Accessed 12 Jun 2018

  • Albanis T, Danis T, Hela D (1995) Transportation of pesticides in estuaries of Louros and Arachthos rivers (Amvrakikos Gulf, NW Greece). Sci Total Environ 171(1–3):85–93

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bogen J, Bønsnes TE (2001) The impact of a hydroelectric power plant on the sediment load in downstream water bodies, Svartisen, northern Norway. Sci Total Environ 266(1–3):273–280

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cordeiro GC, Toledo Filho RD, Fairbairn EM (2009) Effect of calcination temperature on the pozzolanic activity of sugar cane bagasse ash. Constr Build Mater 23(10):3301–3303

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Degenhardt D, Cessna AJ, Raina R, Farenhorst A, Pennock DJ (2011) Dissipation of six acid herbicides in water and sediment of two Canadian prairie wetlands. Environ Toxicol Chem 30(9):1982–1989

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Donald DB, Cessna AJ, Sverko NE (2007) Pesticides in surface drinking-water supplies of the northern Great Plains. Environ Health Perspect 115(8):1183–1191

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ensminger MP, Budd R, Kelley KC, Goh KS (2013) Pesticide occurrence and aquatic benchmark exceedances in urban surface waters and sediments in three urban areas of California, USA, 2008–2011. Environ Monit Assess 185(5):3697–3710

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Environment and Climate Change Canada (2015) Pesticides in the Nelson River Watershed, 2006 to 2011. https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/freshwater-quality-monitoring/pesticides-research/nelson-river-watershed-2006-2011.html. Accessed 17 Jun 2018

  • Environment Canada (2011) State of Lake Winnipeg: 1999 to 2007. Environment Canada and Manitoba water stewardship. https://www.gov.mb.ca/waterstewardship/water_quality/state_lk_winnipeg_report/pdf/state_of_lake_winnipeg_rpt_technical_low_resolution.pdf. Accessed 03 Aug 2018

  • Gao JP, Maguhn J, Spitzauer P, Kettrup A (1998) Sorption of pesticides in the sediment of the Teufelsweiher pond (Southern Germany). I: equilibrium assessments, effect of organic carbon content and pH. Water Res 32(5):1662–1672

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gaultier J, Farenhorst A, Kim SM, Saiyed I, Messing P, Cessna AJ, Glozier NE (2009) Sorption-desorption of 2, 4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid by wetland sediments. Wetlands 29(3):837–844

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gee GW, Or D (2002) 2.4 particle-size analysis. Methods of soil analysis. Part 4(598), pp 255–293

  • Glozier NE, Struger J, Cessna AJ, Gledhill M, Rondeau M, Ernst WR, Sekela MA, Cagampan SJ, Sverko E, Murphy C, Murray JL (2012) Occurrence of glyphosate and acidic herbicides in select urban rivers and streams in Canada, 2007. Environ Sci Pollut Res 19(3):821–834

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Golobočanin DD, Škrbić BD, Miljević NR (2004) Principal component analysis for soil contamination with PAHs. Chemom Intell Lab Syst 72(2):219–223

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haberhauer G, Pfeiffer L, Gerzabek MH (2000) Influence of molecular structure on sorption of phenoxyalkanoic herbicides on soil and its particle size fractions. J Agric Food Chem 48(8):3722–3727

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hiller E, Khun M, Zemanová L, Jurkovic L, Bartal M (2006) Laboratory study of retention and release of weak acid herbicide MCPA by soils and sediments and leaching potential of MCPA. Plant Soil Environ 52(12):550–558

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hiller E, Krascsenits Z, Čerňanský S (2008) Sorption of acetochlor, atrazine, 2, 4-D, chlorotoluron, MCPA, and trifluralin in six soils from Slovakia. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 80(5):412–416

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hiller E, Čerňanský S, Krascsenits Z, Milička J (2009) Effect of soil and sediment composition on acetochlor sorption and desorption. Environ Sci Pollut Res 16(5):546–554

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hogan SA, McNamee BF, O’Riordan ED, O’Sullivan M (2001) Emulsification and microencapsulation properties of sodium caseinate/carbohydrate blends. Int Dairy J 11(3):137–144

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Köck M, Farré M, Martínez E, Gajda-Schrantz K, Ginebreda A, Navarro A, de Alda ML, Barceló D (2010) Integrated ecotoxicological and chemical approach for the assessment of pesticide pollution in the Ebro River delta (Spain). J Hydrol 383(1–2):73–82

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lehotay S (2007) AOAC official method 2007.01 pesticide residues in foods by acetonitrile extraction and partitioning with magnesium sulfate. J AOAC Int 90(2):485–520

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lewis KA, Tzilivakis J, Warner DJ, Green A (2016) An international database for pesticide risk assessments and management. Hum Ecol Risk Assess 22(4):1050–1064

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liu B, Wildman R, Tuck C, Ashcroft I, Hague R (2011) Investigation the effect of particle size distribution on processing parameters optimization in selective laser melting process. Additive manufacturing research group, Loughborough University, pp 227–238

  • Matile GL, Thorleifson LH, Grant N, Burt A, Mann J (1998) Geology of the Winnipeg region NATMAP project (NTS 62H/W, 62I and 52L/W). Report of Activities, pp 161–171

  • Mukaka MM (2012) A guide to appropriate use of correlation coefficient in medical research. Malawi Med J 24(3):69–71

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Munira S, Farenhorst A, Sapkota K, Nilsson D, Sheedy C (2018) Auxin herbicides and pesticide mixtures in groundwater of a Canadian prairie province. J Environ Qual 47(6):1462–1467

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nelson D, Sommers L (1996) Total carbon, organic carbon, and organic matter. In Methods of soil analysis. Part 3. Chemical Methods. American Society of Agronomy Inc. Soil Science Society America Inc, Madison, WI, USA, pp 961–1010

  • OECD/OCDE 106 (2000) OECD guideline for the testing of chemicals. Adsorption desorption using a batch equilibrium method. 1–45. https://doi.org/10.1787/20745753. Accessed 10 May 2018

  • Ricart M, Guasch H, Barceló D, Brix R, Conceição MH, Geiszinger A, de Alda MJ, López-Doval JC, Muñoz I, Postigo C, Romaní AM (2010) Primary and complex stressors in polluted Mediterranean rivers: pesticide effects on biological communities. J Hydrol 383(1–2):52–61

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Riefer P, Klausmeyer T, Schwarzbauer J, Schäffer A, Schmidt B, Corvini PF (2011) Rapid incorporation and short-term distribution of a nonylphenol isomer and the herbicide MCPA in soil-derived organo-clay complexes. Environ Chem Lett 9(3):411–415

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sattar MA, Paasivirta J (1980) Fate of chlorophenoxyacetic acids in acid soil. Chemosphere 9(12):745–752

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sperazza M, Moore JN, Hendrix MS (2004) High-resolution particle size analysis of naturally occurring very fine-grained sediment through laser diffractometry. J Sediment Res 74(5):736–743

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Statheropoulos M, Vassiliadis N, Pappa A (1998) Principal component and canonical correlation analysis for examining air pollution and meteorological data. Atmos Environ 32(6):1087–1095

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor R (1990) Interpretation of the correlation coefficient: a basic review. J Diagn Med Sonogr 6(1):35–39

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vallée R, Dousset S, Billet D, Benoit M (2014) Sorption of selected pesticides on soils, sediment and straw from a constructed agricultural drainage ditch or pond. Environ Sci Pollut Res 21(7):4895–4905

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xu D, Meyer S, Gaultier J, Farenhorst A, Pennock D (2009) Land use and riparian effects on prairie wetland sediment properties and herbicide sorption coefficients. J Environ Qual 38(4):1757–1765

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yoshida T, Castro TF (1975) Degradation of 2, 4-D, 2, 4, 5-T, and picloram in two Philippine soils. Soil Sci Plant Nutr 21(4):397–404

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) under its Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE) Program and its Discovery Grants (DG) Program. In addition, graduate student M. Gamhewage was supported by the Manitoba Graduate Scholarship (MGS) and the University of Manitoba Graduate Fellowship (UMGF). We also thank the Chief and Council of the Fisher River Cree Nation for asking us to sample Fisher River and giving us permission to do so. In addition, Denise Nilsson, Dr. David Lobb, Dr. Francis Zvomuya, Rob Ellis, Dr. Ross McQueen, Dr. Mark Hanson, Christine Vucurevich, Brendan Brooks, Scott Spengler, Lettie-May Lee, Anita Murdock and Jasmine Welgan are gratefully acknowledged for their contributions to this study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Soil Science, University of Manitoba, Ellis Building, 13 Freedman Crescent, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N2, Canada

    Mauli Gamhewage & Annemieke Farenhorst

  2. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 5403 1st Avenue South, Lethbridge, AB, T1J 4B1, Canada

    Claudia Sheedy

Authors
  1. Mauli Gamhewage
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Annemieke Farenhorst
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Claudia Sheedy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mauli Gamhewage.

Additional information

Responsible editor: Jan Schwarzbauer

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Gamhewage, M., Farenhorst, A. & Sheedy, C. Phenoxy herbicides’ interactions with river bottom sediments. J Soils Sediments 19, 3620–3630 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-019-02339-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-019-02339-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation