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International Conference on

Recent Trends in Environmental Sustainability

ESCON22/ETERM/45
Accelerated phyco-remediation of atrazine using indol acetic acid

M. Rashid Waqas*1, M. Yahya Khan1, Akram Khan1, Zeeshan Ahmad1, Liaqat Ali1 and Sajid
Mahmood Nadeem1
1University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Sub-Campus Burewala

Correspondence: rashidwaqas@uaf.edu.pk
Abstract

The accumulation of pesticides in the environment can cause serious problems, affecting
negatively the stability of many aquatic ecosystems and can also cause adverse effects to
human health and the environment. Pesticides are introduced into the aquatic ecosystems
because of human activities involving agricultural uses and industrial discharges. The uses of
bacteria for biodegradation of pesticide and organic pollutants have been extensively studied.
However, the application of microalgae in restoration of pesticide-polluted aquatic
environment has just started. In this experiment, the potential of microalgae was evaluated for
phyco-remediation of pesticides (atrazine) in aquatic ecosystems. Three levels of atrazine were
used (70, 100 and 130 ppb) to create pesticide contamination. The enhancement of
Phytoremediation was checked by adding IAA in the pesticide contaminated samples. The
reduction in atrazine concentration was determined by reverse phase HPLC at 240 nm using
acetonitrile and double distilled water as mobile phase. It was observed that algae was able to
completely remediate the atrazine in 120 hours to 130 ppb while in 96 hours to 70 ppb and 100
ppb concentration. Interestingly, it was noticed that addition of IAA enhanced growth of algae
and ultimately making the remediation faster as compared to control. It was concluded that
algae are able to remediate the atrazine concentration in aqueous solution.

Keywords: atrazine, ecosystem, pesticide, microalgae

Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Vehari Campus

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