Biodegradation and uptake of the pesticide sulfluramid in a soil-carrot mesocosm
Abstract
N-ethyl perfluorooctane sulfonamide (EtFOSA) is the active ingredient of Sulfluramid, a pesticide which is used extensively in South America for control of leaf-cutting ants. Despite being a known precursor to perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS), the importance of EtFOSA as a source of environmental PFOS remains unclear. In the present work, uptake, leaching, and biodegradation of EtFOSA and its transformation products were assessed over 81 days in soil-carrot ( Daucus carota ssp sativus) mesocosms for the first time. Experiments performed in the presence of carrot produced PFOS yields of up to 34% using a technical EtFOSA standard and up to 277% using Grão Forte, a commercial Sulfluramid bait formulation containing 0.0024% EtFOSA. Perfluorooctane sulfonamido acetate (FOSAA), perfluorooctane sulfonamide (FOSA), and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) also formed over the course of the experiments, with the latter substance attributed to the presence of perfluorooctanamide impurities. The leachate contained low levels of transformation products and a high FOSA:PFOS ratio, consistent with recent observations in Brazilian surface water. In carrots, the more hydrophilic transformation products (e.g., PFOS) occurred primarily in the leaves, while the more hydrophobic products (e.g., FOSA, FOSAA, and EtFOSA) occurred in the peel and core. Remarkably, isomer-specific analysis revealed that the linear EtFOSA isomer biodegraded significantly faster than branched isomers. These data collectively…
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In a soil-vegetable mesocosm, EtFOSA formed FOSAA, FOSA, PFOA, and PFOS over the course of the experiments.
“Furthermore, Zabaleta et al. (2018) investigated the fate of EtFOSA in a soilevegetable mesocosm. FOSAA, FOSA, PFOA, and PFOS were formed over the course of the experiments.”
From Biotransformation of perfluoroalkyl acid precursors from various environmental systems: advances and perspectives (2021) · cites this paper as Zabaleta et al., 2018
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- Authors
- Zabaleta, I., Bizkarguenaga, E., Nunoo, D. B. O., Schultes, L., Leonel, J., Prieto, A., Zuloaga, O., & Benskin, J. P.
- Affiliations
- Stockholm University (SE)
- Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (BR)
- University of the Basque Country (ES)
- Corresponding author
- Zabaleta, Itsaso
- Bizkarguenaga, Ekhine
- ORCID
- Venue
- Environmental Science & Technology
- Publisher
- American Chemical Society (ACS)
- Published
- 2018-02-08
- Volume
- 52
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 2603-2611
- ISSN
- 0013-936X (ISSN-L)
- 1520-5851
- OpenAlex
- W2786938256
- Cited by
- 85
- References
- 8
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 6
- FWCI
- 4.44
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Environmental Science & Technology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Svenska Forskningsr?det Formas (219-2013-794)
- United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
- Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Chemistry › Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances research
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Pollution › Pesticide and Herbicide Environmental Studies
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Chemistry › Environmental Chemistry and Analysis
- Keywords
- sulfluramid, PFOS, pesticide degradation, leaching, plant uptake, degradation intermediates, perfluorooctanoic acid, perfluorooctane sulfonamide, food contamination, leafy vegetables
- MeSH terms
- Brazil, Fluorocarbons, Pesticides, Soil, Soil Pollutants, Sulfonamides, Alkanesulfonic Acids, Daucus carota
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