Bioremediation strategies to mitigate the impact of Atrazine on the environment: Recent advances and prospects

Abstract

Atrazine is an s-triazine herbicide widely used for the control of weeds, primarily in corn, sorghum and sugarcane crops. It is relatively persistent in the environment, moderately soluble in water and toxic to different organisms and humans. Its mobility through soil by leaching and runoff events frequently lead to contamination of sediments and water resources. Thus, atrazine has become a compound of public concern because it is frequently detected in surface, groundwater and rainfall samples in quantities exceeding the limit values set by regulatory agencies (the EU and the USA) for drinking water. In addition, several studies have shown its impact on the ecosystem and human health. For this reason, bioremediation strategies have been described to allow the removal of atrazine and avoid its dispersion in the environment. This chapter provides information on the behaviour and impact of atrazine in soil, aquatic ecosystems and non-target organisms and summarised current knowledge about bioremediation strategies for the clean-up of sites polluted with this herbicide. Recently, material-microbial-integrated technologies have been investigated in order to degrade atrazine, which will be also described. Finally, the bioremediation strategies are evaluated under laboratory and field conditions. Future advances related to atrazine degradation need to focus on an efficient removal and low environmental impact.