Assessing Atrazine Input and Removal Processes in the Chesapeake Bay Environment: An Overview

摘要

This study focuses on the behavior of atrazine, a broad-spectrum herbicide extensively used in the Chesapeake Bay watershed in the cultivation of corn and sorghum. Studies show that atrazine can have detrimental effects on aquatic ecosystems. Reactions between atrazine and reduced sulfur species present in anoxic sediment porewaters may provide a significant sink for this agrochemical. An integral approach involving field data analysis, laboratory studies and modeling is needed to understand the behavior of atrazine and to assess the toxic effects associated with the discharge of atrazine into the environment. As a first step, available data have been compiled to identify important inputs of atrazine and to estimate the resident mass of atrazine in the Chesapeake Bay. This paper presents a simple mass balance for the northern section of the Bay based on these data. This analysis illustrates that in order to assess and predict the long-term trends of atrazine for different loading scenarios, more comprehensive field data and more sophisticated models are needed that better capture the relevant physical and chemical processes.