The aquatic ecotoxicology of triazine herbicides

Conference · Tue Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1996

OSTI ID:369977

Giddings, J M ^[1]

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1. ENSR Consulting & Engineering, Woods Hole, MA (United States); and others

Triazine herbicides control plant growth by inhibiting photophosphorylation, but typically do not cause permanent cell damage or death. Effects on aquatic plants are reversible; photosynthesis resumes when the herbicide disappears from the water, and sometimes even while it is still present. Effects on aquatic plant communities are further ameliorated by species replacements, so the communities as a whole are less sensitive than their most sensitive species. Atrazine, a representative triazine herbicide, is toxic to aquatic plants (algae and macrophytes) at concentrations in the range of 20 to 200 {mu}g/L or less. Aquatic invertebrates and fish are much less sensitive than plants, with acute toxicity occurring at 1000 {mu}g/L or higher. Ecologically significant effects in aquatic ecosystems are likely only if plant communities are severely damaged by prolonged exposure to high atrazine concentrations.

• OSTI ID: 369977
• Report Number(s): CONF-960376--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
55 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
BASIC STUDIES
56 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
APPLIED STUDIES
ALGAE
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
INVERTEBRATES
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
PLANT GROWTH
SURFACE WATERS
TOXICITY
WATER POLLUTION