July 2017 Vol. 5 No.7

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Zabermawi N
El-Bestawy E

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Original Research Article

Microbial Degradation and Residue Analysis of Atrazine in Open Field and Indoor Cultures

Nidal Zabermawi¹ and Ebtesam El-Bestawy^2*

¹Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah. P.O. Box 80200 Jeddah 21589, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
²Department of Environmental Studies, Institute of Graduate Studies and Research, Alexandria University, 163 Horria Ave. El-Shatby, P.O. Box 832, Alexandria, Egypt

*Corresponding Author’s E-mail: ebtesamelbestawy@yahoo.com
Phone: +203-4295007
Fax:+203-4285793

Accepted July 27, 2017

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate Atrazine residues and biodegradation by naturally occurring bacteria in open field and indoor cultures of corn and cucumber amended with Atrazine. Three soil types were employed to evaluate the effect of soil characteristics including the indigenous degraders on the fate of Atrazine different ecosystems. In the field experiment, corn grew well to its full cycle (120 days) in the presence of the Atrazine at its recommended dose (RD). Cucumber plant grew only to its full cycle in the presence of 0.5 XRD of the herbicide in soil^E while it did not grow in soil^H at any concentration of the tested herbicide with no Atrazine residues were detected in any of cucumber fruit. Higher averages of Atrazine residues (0.232 and 0.140 ppm after 25 and 50 days respectively) were detected in soil^M during outdoor corn cultivation compared to indoor cultivation. However, Atrazine was not detected outdoor after 75 days of its application. During indoor cucumber cultivation much lower Atrazine residue averages were detected compared to the outdoor corn cultivation. Results clearly confirmed that soil characteristics, plant type as well as environmental conditions controlled biodegradation and residue levels of Atrazine in the soil.

Keywords: Atrazine, Bacteria, Biodegradation, Growth, Open field, Residue levels