ATRAZINE MONITORING IN GROUNDWATER AND BOVINE MILK FROM FARMS IN THE DAIRY BASIN OF VILLA MARIA, CORDOBA

NOELIA L. URSELER; ROMINA A. BACHETTI; ELIZABETH AGOSTINI; CAROLINA A. MORGANTE

BIOCELL

INST HISTOL EMBRIOL-CONICET

Año: 2021 vol. 14

0327-9545

Atrazine (AT) is an s-triazine herbicide used for weed’s pre- and post-emergence control in corn and sorghum crops. This compound is highly persistent in the environment due to its chemical stability, being able to bioconcentrate and bioaccumulate in the lipid tissue of higher organisms, such as mammals. Atrazine is an endocrine disruptor, and it is also able to produce mutagenic and teratogenic effects. Dairy cattle accumulate residues of herbicides from contaminated feed, water, and air. The aim of this work was to evaluate the presence of AT herbicide in groundwater and bovine milk of dairy farms of Villa María, Córdoba (Argentina). The dairy farms (N = 32) were located towards the south (N = 16) and north (N = 16) of the Ctalamochita river. Sampling was conducted during the herbicide application season (spring). Groundwater samples were obtained from the phreatic aquifer (8–30 m depth) and milk samples were taken from the milk tanks. Detection and quantification of AT in groundwater was performed by Capillary Electrophoresis (MEKC-UV), and in milk it was performed by the Atrazine ELISA Microtiter Plate commercial kit (Abraxis LLC, USA) with previous extraction of the herbicide. Of the total number of farms monitored, AT was detected in 28% of groundwater samples and 75% of milk samples. Atrazine concentrations in groundwater were 0.17  0.27 μg/L in the north area and 0.12  0.35 μg/L in the south area (P < 0.20). Atrazine concentrations detected in milk samples were higher in the north area (10.65  9.03 μg/L) than in the south area (4.55  6.48 μg/L) (P < 0.05). Correlation analyses between AT concentrations in groundwater and milk samples were significantly positive in the north area (r = 0.68; P < 0.01), showing that the quality of the water consumed by the dairy cattle influences the final composition of the milk. In the monitored dairy farms, 25% of the groundwater samples exceeded the AT maximum residue level (MRL) admitted by the European Union (EU) (0.1 μg/L). The milk samples analyzed showed AT concentrations below the MRL established by the EU (50 μg/kg), whereas 12.5% of the samples exceeded the MRL allowed by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) (20 μg/kg). The results obtained in this study show the arrival of the AT herbicide to groundwater sources and its potential to reach higher trophic levels. Bovine milk is a food of high biological value consumed frequently by the population, therefore monitoring and control of milk quality is necessary to protect the health of the exposed population.