FATE OF WEATHERED CHLORDANE RESIDUES IN SOIL AND PLANTS

• Sponsoring Institution: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
• Project Status: COMPLETE
• Funding Source: HATCH
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 0183796
• Project Start Date: Oct 11, 1999
• Project End Date: Oct 11, 2003
• Program Code: [(N/A)]- (N/A)

Recipient Organization
CONNECTICUT AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION
PO BOX 1106
NEW HAVEN,CT 06504

Performing Department
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY

Non Technical Summary
Most Persistent Organic Pollutants have been outlawed in industrial countries but remain in use in developing countries. Nevertheless, their cycling in the biosphere will expose humans to their negative effects for several years to come. Details of the cycling of POPs in the biosphere will provide data to minimize these compounds negative impact on human health. This project will elucidate some of the details necessary for a complete risk assessment.

Animal Health Component

50%

Research Effort Categories

Basic

50%

Applied

50%

Developmental

(N/A)

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
711	5010	2000	100%

Knowledge Area
711 - Ensure Food Products Free of Harmful Chemicals, Including Residues from Agricultural and Other Sources;

Subject Of Investigation
5010 - Food;

Field Of Science
2000 - Chemistry;

Keywords

chlordane

weathering

pesticide residues

soil pollution

pollution control

residue analysis

atmospheric deposition

food safety

food chemistry

pesticide accumulation

plant uptake

metabolic pathways

plant physiology

risk assessment

air pollution

soil contamination

Goals / Objectives
This project will investigate the cycling of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in the biosphere. All POPs are characterized by a half-life in the environment measured on the order of years. Some of these chemicals were used in agricultural settings, both commercial and residential; some have industrial uses; and others are unintentional by-products of industrial operations. Their long-term environmental lifetimes, translocation from the site of original release, and bioaccumulation factors have rendered these chemicals of high priority by U.S. EPA, World Wildlife Fund, U.N. Environment Program. The comprehensive objective of this project is to determine details of the cycling of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) through biotic and abiotic processes in the biosphere. Residues which have weathered for several years in soil and resist microbiological degradation can, nevertheless, be taken up by plants including food crops, thus exposing humans to POPs via direct consumption. Food crops may be subject to atmospheric exposure to POPs even if they are not growing in soil containing weathered residues. We will investigate the relative importance of these two uptake pathways in food crops.

Project Methods
We will use technical chlordane as the model to elucidate the cycling of POPs in the biosphere. Two of the components of technical chlordane have characteristics which make them outstanding model compounds. Trans-chlordane and cis-chlordane are diastereomers which are extremely persistent. Each of these diastereomers is chiral and so each has a pair of enantiomers. This optical handle will permit tracking of the chemical through biotic processes such as those that are likely to occur in plants. The chiral profile together with the relative amounts of the two diastereomers will also permit more accurate tracking of POPs in the environment. The analytical technique to be developed for acquiring the data is chiral gas chromatography with ion trap mass spectrometry.

Progress 10/11/99 to 10/11/03

Outputs
A detailed dose-in-soil/uptake-by-plants study has been completed. In addition, a study of air-to-plant has been concluded. In the former study Cucurbitae pepo L. was grown in containerized soil in the field containing four levels of weathered chlordane contamination. The air surrounding the plants was monitored throughout the growing season. The air-to-plant uptake was conducted in greenhouses for comparison with the soil-to-plant route. In this study Cucurbitae pepo L. was grown in bins containing clean soil with levels of contamination below levels of quantitation. For both studies at harvest four plant tissue types were analyzed for chlordane content: roots, stems, leaves and fruit. Using the chiral profiles of the chlordane residues provides considerable information regarding the movement of the xenobiotic compounds through the environmental compartments and the plant tissue.

Impacts
Our research has shown that soil-bound persistent organic pollutants will have chronic impact on humans, domestic animals, and wildlife for decades to come. The observations made in our studies and the conclusions drawn from these data will minimize harmful dietary impact of vegetation grown in contaminated soils. Due to the cycling of these chemicals, most soils contain some level of contamination. The long-term impacts are: there will be safer foods for consumers and increased knowledge of chlordane contamination in contaminated sites, thereby decreasing human exposure to pesticides and reducing health risks.

Publications

• W.Y. Lee, W. A. Iannucci-Berger, B. D. Eitzer, J. C. White, M. J. I. Mattina Persistent Organic Pollutants in the Environment: Chlordane Residues in Compost. J. Environ. Qual, 32, 224-231 (2003).
• M. J. I. Mattina, J. C. White, B. D. Eitzer, W. A. Iannucci-Berger, Cycling of Weathered Chlordane Residues in the Environment: Compositional and Chiral Profiles in Contiguous Soil, Vegetation and Air Compartments. Environ. Toxicol. Chem., 21, 281-288 (2002).
• B. D. Eitzer, W. Iannucci-Berger, M.J.I. Mattina. Volatilization of Chlordane from Weathered Soil Residues. Environ. Sci. Technol., 37:4887-4893 (2003).
• W.Y. Lee, W. A. Iannucci-Berger, B. D. Eitzer, J. C. White, M. J. I. Mattina Plant Uptake and Translocation of Air-borne and Comparison with the Soil-to-Plant Route. Chemosphere 53:111-121 (2003).
• M.J.I. Mattina, W.A. Iannucci-Berger, C. Musante, J.C. White, Concurrent Plant Uptake of Heavy Metals and Persistent Organic Pollutants from Soil. Environ. Pollut., 124, 375-378 (2003)

Progress 01/01/02 to 12/31/02

Outputs
A detailed dose-in-soil/uptake-by-plants study has been completed. Cucurbitae pepo L. was grown in containerized soil in the field containing four levels of weathered chlordane contamination. The air surrounding the plants was monitored throughout the growing season. At harvest four plant tissue types were analyzed for chlordane content: roots, stems, leaves and fruit. The data permitted us to generate an empirical dose/uptake equation which is useful for predicting chlordane content in zucchini fruit if the chlordane soil contamination level is known. The equation pertains to soil with similar properties as that used in these trials. The air-to-plant uptake has also been examined and comparison with the soil-to-plant route has been made. Using the chiral profiles of the chlordane residues provides considerable information regarding the movement of the xenobiotic compounds through plant tissue.

Impacts
This is the first predictive tool available for food crop--zucchini-- contamination by a persistent soil-borne organochlorine pesticide--chlordane. Furthermore, different aspects of the broader study have indicated the presence of chlordane in a vegetative based soil amendment--compost.

Publications

• M. J. I. Mattina, J. C. White, B. D. Eitzer, W. A. Iannucci-Berger, Cycling of Weathered Chlordane Residues in the Environment: Compositional and Chiral Profiles in Contiguous Soil, Vegetation and Air Compartments. Environ. Toxicol. Chem., 21:281-288 (2002).
• B. D. Eitzer, M. J. I. Mattina, W. A. Iannucci-Berger, Compositional and Chiral Profiles of Weathered Chlordane Residues in Soil. Environ. Toxicol. Chem., 20: 2198-2204 (2001).
• Wen-Yee Lee, W. A. Iannucci-Berger, B. D. Eitzer, J. C. White, M. J. I. Mattina, Persistent Organic Pollutants in the Environment: Chlordane Residues in Compost. J. Environ. Qual. In press, 2003.

Progress 01/01/01 to 12/31/01

Outputs
A range of food crops were grown in field soil contaminated with weathered chlordane residues. The residues in three operationally defined soil compartments as well as in roots and aerial plant tissues were determined. The results indicate that in the soil little alteration of the chlordane profile occurs under vegetative influence during the growing season. The results also indicate that while some food crops bioconcentrate chlordane, some crops bioattenuate chlordane in the roots. The research further demonstrates that plant tissue alters both the chiral and achiral profiles of chlordane residues relative to soil residues. Further, dose/uptake curves for zucchini, a very efficient uptaker of chlordane from soil, have been generated.

Impacts
Alterations in the chiral profile of chlordane residues in plant tissue may result in increased toxicity of the residues in edible crop biomass, based on LD50 values of the enantiomers. This will impact human health assessments of edible crops, as well as dietary impact via indirect intake through animal products contaminated via chlordane-containing silage. Plant uptake of chlordane will also impact residues in vegetative-based compost.

Publications

• M. J. I. Mattina, J. C. White, B. D. Eitzer, W. A. Iannucci-Berger, Cycling of Weathered Chlordane Residues in the Environment: Compositional and Chiral Profiles in Contiguous Soil, Vegetation and Air Compartments. J. Environ. Toxicol. Chem., 21, (2002).
• J. C. White, M. J. I. Mattina, B. D. Eitzer, W. A. Iannucci-Berger, Tracking Chlordane Compositional and Chiral Profiles in Soil and Vegetation. Chemosphere, In press (2002).
• B. D. Eitzer, M. J. I. Mattina, W. A. Iannucci-Berger, Compositional and Chiral Profiles of Weathered Chlordane Residues in Soil. J. Environ. Toxicol. Chem., 20, 2198-2204 (2001).

Progress 01/01/00 to 12/31/00

Outputs
An analytically rigorous method has been developed for qualitative and quantitative determination of four components of technical chlordane and one metabolite using chiral gas chromatography interfaced with ion trap mass spectrometry. Internal standard calibration using two isotopically labelled chlordane components is applied to extracts prepared from both plant and soil matrices. The method permits us to trace weathered chlordane residues through operationally defined soil compartments into the plant and throughout plant tissues. Both greenhouse and field studies are included.

Impacts
Chlordane is a POP (persistent organic pollutant) whose use is no longer permitted in the U.S. Our research has shown that its half-life in soil is measured in decades. As such pollutants weather in soil, it was proposed by some researchers that they become recalcitrant, more difficult to extract from the soil matrix. We have demonstrated that, in fact, certain food crops not only absorb weathered chlordane residues from soil, but translocate it throughout the plant tissues.

Publications

• No publications reported this period