Evaluation of Atrazine Pesticide in Agricultural Drains and Water Resources of Karun and Dez Rivers

Atrazine is one of the most widely used herbicides in the country, including Khuzestan province. The presence of this herbicide in aquatic environments poses a serious threat to human health and the aquatic ecosystem. Atrazine is an endocrine disruptor and is considered a carcinogen. The half-life of this herbicide in water and soil is between 20 and 50 days, that depends on the temperature and pH. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the pesticide atrazine in agricultural drains and water of Karun and Dez Rivers. In order to measure the concentration of atrazine in agricultural effluent and Karun and Dez River, 15 stations upstream and downstream of the river were used. Determination of atrazine herbicide concentration was used by high performance liquid chromatography equipped with ultraviolet detector at maximum absorption wavelength. Construction of stock solutions was done by adding standard atrazine solution at concentrations of 1.5 and 0.5 ppm, 0.1, 0.05, and 0.05. Data analysis was performed using Excel software. The results showed concentration mean of atrazine in the downstream station (9, 11, 12 and 15) decreases compared to the upstream statin (1, 3, 5 and 6). Maximum concentrations of atrazine in summer, winter, autumn and spring were measured with 55.16, 53.02, 111.51, 49.86 µg/L, respectively, which is beyond the standard of the environment organization (MCL=3 µg/L). Liters and different seasons of sampling are about 94.56%, 94.34%, 94.13% and 93.98% higher than the WHO standards. The results showed that the amount of atrazine herbicide in most water samples of Karun River is beyond the standard and WHO and EPA regulations. The Karun River was observed. Maximum concentrations were observed in maxing point of Karoon and Dez Rivers (station 1) followed by Dehkoda agro – industry (station 6) upstream.