Mechanisms of Bond Cleavage during Manganese Oxide and UV Degradation of Glyphosate: Results from Phosphate Oxygen Isotopes and Molecular Simulations

Limitations of the molybdenum blue method for phosphate quantification in the presence of organophosphonates

Organophosphonates (OPs) are widely used as chelating agents in domestic and industrial applications. While regarded as hardly biodegradable, OPs can undergo abiotic transformation with phosphate (PO43-) as a main transformation product. As some OPs are suspected precursors of glyphosate in surface waters, their environmental fate is of current interest. Due to analytical challenges posed by quantification of individual OPs, monitoring PO43- formation is a widely used proxy to monitor OP transformations. The molybdenum blue (MB) method, employing UV/Vis spectroscopy, is frequently used for PO43- quantification due to its sensitivity and operational simplicity. However, while interference of certain inorganic ions is well-documented, the effects of OPs on the accuracy of the MB method remain unexplored. This study investigated the effects of six OPs, namely N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine (glyphosate), 1-hydroxyethylidene(1,1-diphosphonic acid) (HEDP), iminodi(methylene phosphonate) (IDMP), aminotris(methylene phosphonate) (ATMP), ethylenediaminetetra(methylene phosphonate) (EDTMP), and diethylenetriaminepenta(methylene phosphonate) (DTPMP). Spectral analysis of pure PO43- standards using the MB method exhibits two characteristic absorption maxima (λmax) at 710 and 880 nm. In the presence of OPs, a new λmax appears around 760 nm. This is accompanied by an increase in absorbance values at both 710 and 880 nm, leading to significant over-quantification of PO43- concentrations. Among the evaluated OPs, DTPMP exhibits the most substantial interference (PO43- over-quantification by up to 240%), while glyphosate causes minimal interference (≤ 20%). The effects are most pronounced at OPs:PO43- ratios ≥1. A case study simulating DTPMP transformation confirms PO43- over-quantification of up to 350%, revealing limitations of the MB method. Therefore, careful data evaluation and complementary analytical techniques for accurate PO43- measurements are indispensable in OP transformation research.

Gas Phase Mass- and Mobility-Resolved Structures of Metalated Glyphosate Dimers

Metalated glyphosate dimers were investigated by using electrospray ionization ion mobility-mass spectrometry and tandem ion mobility-infrared multiple photon dissociation-mass spectrometry. [M(glyphosate)(glyphosate-H)]+ dimers where M = Mg2+, Ca2+, Sr2+, Ba2+, Mn2+, Cu2+ and Zn2+ were mass-selected prior to mobility separation. Each possessed a single mobility resolved isomer, with measured collision cross sections (N2CCSexp) ranging from 165 to 175 Å2. The dimers were all of similar size, with size trends consistent with periodic differences in the incorporated metals' cationic radii, except M = Cu2+. Upon IR irradiation between 2700 and 3700 cm-1, the experimental IR spectra of mass- and mobility-resolved [M(glyphosate)(glyphosate-H)]+ dimers revealed two significant absorption peaks at 3550 and 3660 cm-1. These correspond to the O-H stretching on both the carboxylate and phosphonate groups of the substituent glyphosate molecules. A thorough isomer search using CREST-CENSO algorithms and DFT optimization predicted the energetically preferred gas-phase structures of [M(glyphosate)(glyphosate-H)]+ dimers. Comparing calculated collision cross sections (N2CCScalc) and predicted vibrational frequencies with experimental data confirmed the predicted structures of the [M(glyphosate)(glyphosate-H)]+ dimers, which all share a common structural motif. In all cases, the incorporated deprotonated glyphosate is deprotonated at the phosphonate group. The divalent metal cation coordinates the deprotonated phosphonate group in a bidentate fashion and is located in the center of the dimer. The neutral glyphosate molecule is wrapped around the metal cation in an octahedral coordination. As the metal cation increases in size, the coordination distance increases, thereby increasing the overall size of the dimer. The different bonding afforded by M = Cu2+ to the amine nitrogen center leads to the observed structural difference for this metal, through the modulation of a key hydrogen bond in the dimer.

Atomic Hydrogen in Hydrogenolysis: Converting and Detoxifying Carbon-Heteroatom Bonds via Paired Electrolysis

The presence of carbon-heteroatom bonds (C-N, C-O, and C-S) significantly enhances the stability and toxicity of pollutants. Hydroxyl radicals (•OH)-mediated electrochemical processes show promise; however, the bond energies associated with carbon-heteroatom bonds exceed 200 kJ/mol, which constrains the effectiveness of oxidative degradation and detoxification. We have developed a paired electrolysis process coupling hydrogen atom (H*) generation at the cathode with •OH production at the anode. The involvement of H* and •OH in this system was first confirmed by using methylene blue (MB) as an electrochemical probe. When applied to the degradation of glyphosate (GP), which contains C-N bonds, the paired electrolysis process achieved removal efficiencies for COD, TOC, and toxicity that were twice those of individual oxidation processes. The degradation kinetics also exhibited performance that was double that of individual oxidation processes. Mass spectrometry and theoretical calculations confirmed that hydrogenolysis of H* effectively attacks high-energy C-N bonds, thereby circumventing the rate-limiting steps associated with standalone •OH oxidation, enhancing pollutant degradation and reducing toxicity. When applied to pollutants containing C-O and C-S bonds, the paired electrolysis process demonstrated improvements in COD, TOC, and toxicity removal of approximately 30%, 10%, and 20%, respectively, showcasing its multifunctionality and scalability. Seven days of practical wastewater experiments further validated the effectiveness and durability of this technology.

Heterostructured S-Scheme BiOBr/Cu2O Nanocomposite for Photocatalytic Degradation of Glyphosate

Metal oxide semiconductor-activated photocatalysis has become a promising sustainable technology for the mitigation of emerging organic pollutants. The rational design of a photocatalyst heterojunction allows the degradation of a broad range of organic contaminants. Herein, we optimized hydrothermal approaches for the facial synthesis of well-defined BiOBr/Cu2O heterojunction photocatalysts. Tuning the synthesis condition enhanced the interfacing of BiOBr and Cu2O nanostructures in the heterojunction photocatalyst, as confirmed by STEM, TEM, XPS, XRD, and BET analysis. The optimized BiOBr/Cu2O heterostructured photocatalyst demonstrated substantial activity in the degradation of both anionic and cationic dyes compared to the individual components. The enhanced nanocomposite exhibited complete degradation of glyphosate in 10 min of light irradiation and demonstrated high stability after five photocatalytic cycles. Our mechanistic and photoelectrochemical studies suggest that establishing an S-scheme heterojunction between BiOBr and Cu2O enhances the separation of photogenerated charge carriers and expands the redox potentials of the nanocomposite to allow high catalytic efficiency. These findings indicate that tuning the design of metal oxide heterojunctions promises applications in the remediation of a wide range of organic contaminants.

Design of Mn-based nanozymes with multiple enzyme-like activities for identification/quantification of glyphosate and green transformation of organophosphorus

A Mn-based nanozyme, Mn-uNF/Si, with excellent alkali phosphatase-like activity was designed by in-situ growth of ultrathin Mn-MOF on the surface of silicon spheres, and implemented as an effective solid Lewis-Brønsted acid catalyst for broad-spectrum dephosphorylation. H218O-mediated GC-MS studies confirmed the cleavage sites and the involvement of H2O in the new bonds. DRIFT NH3-IR and in-situ ATR-FTIR confirmed the coexistence of Lewis-Brønsted acid sites and the adjustment of adsorption configurations at the interfacial sites. In addition, a green transformation route of "turning waste into treasure" was proposed for the first time ("OPs→PO43-→P food additive") using edible C. reinhardtii as a transfer station. By alkali etching of Mn-uNF/Si, a nanozyme Mn-uNF with laccase-like activity was obtained. Intriguingly, glyphosate exhibits a laccase-like fingerprint-like response (+,-) of Mn-uNF, and a non-enzyme amplified sensor was thus designed, which shows a good linear relationship with Glyp in a wide range of 0.49-750 μM, with a low LOD of 0.61 μM, as well as high selectivity and anti-interference ability under the co-application of phosphate fertilizers and multiple pesticides. This work provides a controllable methodology for the design of bifunctional nanozymes, which sheds light on the highly efficient green transformation of OPs, and paves the way for the selective recognition and quantification of glyphosate. Mechanistically, we also provided deeper insights into the structure-activity relationship at the atomic scale.

Elucidation of the role of metals in the adsorption and photodegradation of herbicides by metal-organic frameworks

Here, four MOFs, namely Sc-TBAPy, Al-TBAPy, Y-TBAPy, and Fe-TBAPy (TBAPy: 1,3,6,8-tetrakis(p-benzoic acid)pyrene), were characterized and evaluated for their ability to remediate glyphosate (GP) from water. Among these materials, Sc-TBAPy demonstrates superior performance in both the adsorption and degradation of GP. Upon light irradiation for 5 min, Sc-TBAPy completely degrades 100% of GP in a 1.5 mM aqueous solution. Femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy reveals that Sc-TBAPy exhibits enhanced charge transfer character compared to the other MOFs, as well as suppressed formation of emissive excimers that could impede photocatalysis. This finding was further supported by hydrogen evolution half-reaction (HER) experiments, which demonstrated Sc-TBAPy's superior catalytic activity for water splitting. In addition to its faster adsorption and more efficient photodegradation of GP, Sc-TBAPy also followed a selective pathway towards the oxidation of GP, avoiding the formation of toxic aminomethylphosphonic acid observed with the other M3+-TBAPy MOFs. To investigate the selectivity observed with Sc-TBAPy, electron spin resonance, depleted oxygen conditions, and solvent exchange with D2O were employed to elucidate the role of different reactive oxygen species on GP photodegradation. The findings indicate that singlet oxygen (1O2) plays a critical role in the selective photodegradation pathway achieved by Sc-TBAPy.

Effect of temperature on the degradation of glyphosate by Mn-oxide: Products and pathways of degradation

Glyphosate is the most commonly used herbicide in the United States. In the environment, glyphosate residues can either degrade into more toxic and persistent byproducts such as aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) or environmentally benign species such as sarcosine or glycine. In this research, the birnessite-catalyzed degradation of glyphosate was studied under environmentally relevant temperatures (10-40 °C) using high-performance liquid chromatography, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance, and theoretical calculations. Our results show a temperature-dependent degradation pathway preference for AMPA and glycine production. The AMPA and glycine pathways are competitive at short reaction times, but the glycine pathway became increasingly preferred as reaction time and temperature increased. The measured free energy barriers are comparable for both the glycine and AMPA pathways (93.5 kJ mol-1 for glycine and 97.1 kJ mol-1 for AMPA); however, the entropic energy penalty for the AMPA pathway is significantly greater than the glycine pathway (-TΔS‡ = 26.2 and 42.8 kJ mol-1 for glycine and AMPA, respectively). These findings provide possible routes for biasing glyphosate degradation towards safer products, thus to decrease the overall environmental toxicity.

Fluorine-doped BiVO4 photocatalyst: Preferential cleavage of C-N bond for green degradation of glyphosate

With increasing concerns on the environment and human health, the degradation of glyphosate through the formation of less toxic intermediates is of great importance. Among the developed methods for the degradation of glyphosate, photodegradation is a clean and efficient strategy. In this work, we report a new photocatalyst by doping F ion on BiVO₄ that can efficiently degrade glyphosate and reduce the toxic emissions of aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) through the selective (P)-C-N cleavage in comparison of BiVO₄ catalyst. The results demonstrate that the best suppression of AMPA formation was achieved by the catalyst of 0.3F@BiVO₄ at pH = 9 (AMPA formation below 10%). In situ attenuated total reflectance Fourier transforms infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy indicates that the adsorption sites of glyphosate on BiVO₄ and 0.3F@BiVO₄ are altered due to the difference in electrostatic interactions. Such an absorption alteration leads to the preferential cleavage of the C-N bond on the N-C-P skeleton, thereby inhibiting the formation of toxic AMPA. These results improve our understanding of the photodegradation process of glyphosate catalyzed by BiVO₄-based catalysts and pave a safe way for abiotic degradation of glyphosate.

The fate of a hazardous herbicide: a DFT-based ab initio study on glyphosate degradation

Glyphosate degradation has been extensively examined; however, only a few detailed computational studies have been performed on the topic so far. There are substantial differences between the degradation products of glyphosate, as AMPA (aminomethylphosphonic acid) is toxic while sarcosine intermediate is non-toxic. These species can have different effects on the environment and, indirectly, on the human body. We performed calculations using density functional theory and post-Hartree-Fock correlated ab initio methods to find the possible mechanisms for the degradation process by small (hydroxyl, peroxyl, and superoxide) radicals. We found that direct sarcosine formation is strongly dependent on the concentration of the radical species. AMPA and glycine were mostly formed as aldehyde derivatives, while in addition to the former, glyoxylate and bicarbonate are formed alternatively. A significant pH effect was also found for the competitive reactions determined by the calculated rate constants of the elementary steps. Overall barriers showed similarities by DFT but ab initio methods could separate them.

Degradation of glyphosate in a Colombian soil is influenced by temperature, total organic carbon content and pH

Glyphosate is one of the most used herbicides in the world. The fate of glyphosate in tropical soils may be different from that in soils from temperate regions. In particular, the amounts and types of non-extractable residues (NER) may differ considerably, resulting in different relative contributions of xenoNER (sorbed and sequestered parent compound) and bioNER (biomass residues of degraders). In addition, environmental conditions and agricultural practices leading to total organic carbon (TOC) or pH variation can alter the degradation of glyphosate. The aim of this study is thus to investigate how the glyphosate degradation and turnover are influenced by varying temperature, pH and TOC of sandy loam soil from Colombia. The pH or TOC of a Colombian soil was modified to yield five treatments: control (pH 7.0, TOC 3%), 4% TOC, 5% TOC, pH 6.5, and pH 5.5. Each treatment received 50 mg kg-1 of 13C315N-glyphosate and was incubated at 10 °C, 20 °C and 30 °C for 40 days. Rising temperature increased the mineralization of 13C315N-glyphosate from 13 to 20% (10 °C) to 32-39% (20 °C) and 41-51% (30 °C) and decreased the amounts of extractable 13C315N-glyphosate after 40 days of incubation from 13 to 26% (10 °C) to 4.6-12% (20 °C) and 1.2-3.2% (30 °C). Extractable 13C315N-glyphosate increased with higher TOC and higher pH. Total 13C-NER were similar in all treatments and at all temperatures (47%-60%), indicating that none of the factors studied affected the amount of total 13C-NER. However, 13C-bioNER dominated within the 13C-NER pool in the control and the 4% TOC treatment (76-88% of total 13C-NER at 20 °C and 30 °C), whereas in soil with 5% TOC and pH 6.5 or 5.5 13C-bioNER were lower (47-61% at 20 °C and 30 °C). In contrast, the 15N-bioNER pool was small (between 14 and 39% of the 15N-NER). Thus, more than 60% of 15N-NER is potentially hazardous xenobiotic NER which need careful attention in the future.

Thermal decomposition kinetics of glyphosate (GP) and its metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA)

Glyphosate (GP) is a widely used herbicide worldwide, yet accumulation of GP and its main byproduct, aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), in soil and water has raised concerns about its potential effects on human health. Thermal treatment, in which contaminants are vaporised and decomposed in the gas-phase, is one option for decontaminating material containing GP and AMPA, yet the thermal decomposition chemistry of these compounds remains poorly understood. Here, we have revealed the thermal decomposition mechanism of GP and AMPA in the gas phase by applying computational chemistry and reaction rate theory methods. The preferred decomposition channel for both substances involves the elimination of P(OH)3 to yield the imine N-methylene-glycine (from GP) or methanimine (from AMPA), with relatively low barrier heights (ca. 45 kcal mol-1). The half-life of GP and AMPA at 1000 K are predicted to be 0.1 and 4 ms respectively, and they should be readily destroyed via conventional incineration processes. The further decomposition of N-methylene-glycine is expected to also take place at similar temperatures, leading to N-methyl-methanimine + CO2, with a barrier height of ca. 48 kcal mol-1. The imine decomposition products of GP and AMPA are expected to react with water vapour to form simple amines and carbonyl compounds.

Degradation of glyphosate and bioavailability of phosphorus derived from glyphosate in a soil-water system

Glyphosate, the most commonly used herbicide in the world, can be degraded into more toxic and persistent products such as aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) or non-toxic products such as sarcosine and glycine. In this study, we used liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and electrospray ionization (ESI) source Q Extractive Orbitrap mass spectrometry (ESI-Orbitrap MS) to identify glyphosate degradation products and combined with sequential extraction and stable isotopes to investigate the degradation of glyphosate and transformation of phosphorous (P) product in a soil-water system. The LC-MS and ESI-Orbitrap MS results showed that glycine formed during the early stage but was rapidly utilized by soil microorganisms. AMPA started to accumulate at the late stage and was found to be 3-6 times more resistant than glyphosate against degradation; while no sarcosine was formed. The 18O labeling and phosphate oxygen isotope results allowed a clear distinction of the fraction of inorganic P (Pi) derived from glyphosate, about half of which was then rapidly taken up and recycled by soil microorganisms. Our results provide the first evidence of the preferential utilization of glyphosate-derived Pi by microorganisms in the soil-water system. The rapid cycling of Pi derived from this disregarded source has important implications on nutrient management as well as water quality.

Mechanism of methylphosphonic acid photo-degradation based on phosphate oxygen isotopes and density functional theory

Methylphosphonic acid (MPn) is an intermediate in the synthesis of the phosphorus-containing nerve agents, such as sarin and VX, and a biosynthesis product of marine microbes with ramifications to global climate change and eutrophication. Here, we applied the multi-labeled water isotope probing (MLWIP) approach to investigate the C-P bond cleavage mechanism of MPn under UV irradiation and density functional theory (DFT) to simulate the photo-oxidation reaction process involving reactive oxygen species (ROS). The results contrasted with those of the addition of the ROS-quenching compounds, 2-propanol and NaN3. The degradation kinetics results indicated that the extent of MPn degradation was more under alkaline conditions and that the degradation process was more rapid at the initial stage of the reaction. The phosphate oxygen isotope data confirmed that one exogenous oxygen atom was incorporated into the product orthophosphate (PO4) following the C-P bond cleavage, and the oxygen isotopic composition of this free PO4 was found to vary with pH. The combined results of the ROS-quenching experiments and DFT indicate that the C-P bond was cleaved by OH-/˙OH and not by other reactive oxygen species. Based on these results, we have established a mechanistic model for the photolysis of MPn, which provides new insights into the fate of MPn and other phosphonate/organophosphate compounds in the environment.

Highly efficient removal of phosphonates from water by a combined Fe(III)/UV/co-precipitation process

Considerable amount of phosphorous is present as organic phosphonates (usually in the form of metal complexes, e.g., Ca(II)-phosphonate) in domestic and industrial effluents, which cannot be effectively removed by traditional processes for phosphate. Herein, we employed a proprietary process, i.e., Fe(III) displacement/UV irradiation/co-precipitation (denoted Fe(III)/UV/NaOH), to enable an efficient removal of Ca(II)-phosphonate complexes from water. The combined process includes three basic steps, i.e., Fe(III) replacement with the complexed Ca(II) to form Fe(III)-phosphonate of high photo-reactivity, UV-mediated degradation of Fe(III)-phosphonate to form phosphate and other intermediates, and the final phosphorous removal via co-precipitation at pH = 6. The operational conditions for the combined process to remove a typical phosphonate Ca(II)-NTMP (nitrilotrismethylenephosphonate) are optimized, where ∼60% NTMP is transformed to phosphate with the total phosphorous reduction from 1.81 mg/L to 0.17 mg/L. Under UV irradiation, the cleavage of NTMP is identified at the C-N and C-P bonds to form the intermediate products and phosphate in sequence. Also, the combined process is employed for treatment of two authentic effluents before and after activated sludge treatment, resulting in the phosphorous drop from 4.3 mg/L to 0.23 mg/L and from 0.90 mg/L to 0.14 mg/L respectively, which is much superior to other processes including Fenton/co-precipitation. In general, the combined process exhibits great potential for efficient removal of phosphonates from contaminated waters.

Influence of metal ions on glyphosate detection by FMOC-Cl

Glyphosate (GLP, N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine) is the most important broadband herbicide in the world, but discussions are controversial regarding its environmental behaviour and distribution. Residue analyses in a variety of environmental samples are commonly conducted by HPLC-MS where GLP needs to be derivatised with 9-fluoromethoxycarnonyl chloride (FMOC-Cl). Since this derivatisation reaction was suspected to be inhibited by metal ions in the sample matrix, the present study provides a comprehensive experimental study of the effect of metal ions (Al3+, Ca2+, Cd2+, Co2+, Cu2+, Fe2+, Fe3+, Mg2+, Mn2+, Zn2+) on derivatisation and GLP recovery. Results show that some metals (Cd2+, Co2+, Cu2+, Mn2+ and Zn2+) decreased the GLP recovery down to 19 to 59%. Complementary, quantum chemical modelling of 1:1 GLP-metal complexes as well as their reactivity with respect to FMOC-Cl was performed. Here, a decrease in reactivity of FMOC-Cl towards GLP-metal complexes is observed; i.e. the reaction is non-spontaneous in contrast to the free GLP case. The present results are in accord with previous studies and provide an explanation that full GLP recovery in different matrices was never reached. Remedy strategies to compensate for the inhibition effect are explored such as pH adjustment to acidic or alkaline conditions or addition of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). In general, our results question the use of internal isotopic labelled standards (ILS) since this presupposes the presence of the analyte and the ILS in the same (free) form.

31P NMR Investigations on Roundup Degradation by AOP Procedures

The reactions of (N-(PhosphonoMethyl)Glycine) PMG with H2O2 in homogenous systems were investigated using 31P NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance). These reactions were carried out in two reaction modes: without UV radiation and under UV radiation. The reactions of PMG with H2O2 without UV radiation were carried out in two modes: the degradations of PMG (0.1 mmol) by means of 5–10 molar excess of hydrogen dioxide (PMG-H2O2 = 1:5 and 1:10) and the degradation of PMG (0.1 mmol) in homogenous Fenton reactions (PMG-H2O2-Fe2+ = 1:10:0.05 and 1:10:0.1). All reactions were carried out at ambient temperature, at pH 3.5, for 48 h. The reactions of PMG (in Roundup herbicide composition, 12 mmol) with H2O2 under UV radiation (254 nm) were carried out using 5 × molar excess of H2O2 (60 mmol), in the pH range of 2 ≤ pH ≤ 12, for 6 h. In this mode of PMG oxidation, the splitting of C-P was observed in the ratios dependent on the applied pH of the reaction mixture.

Phosphate oxygen isotope evidence for methylphosphonate sources of methane and dissolved inorganic phosphate

The ocean is an important source of methane, however, the sources of oceanic methane and mechanisms of its release to the atmosphere have only recently begun to be understood. Recent studies have identified methylphosphonate (MPn) as a previously unknown and likely source of methane in the aerobic ocean (Karl et al., 2008), as well as shown the biosynthesis of methylphosphonic acid to be a widespread trait in marine microbes (Metcalf et al., 2012). The mechanisms and reaction pathways from MPn to free methane, however, have not been well studied. Here we present results of laboratory studies on the photo-degradation of MPn, a likely mechanism of methane release to the atmosphere and phosphate release to the surface oceans. Phosphonoacetic acid was also studied as an additional model compound for comparison. We used the multi-labeled water isotope probing (MLWIP) approach, involving ¹⁸O-labeled waters to probe the photolytic mechanism of CP bond cleavage in phosphates through analysis of P released from MPn as PO₄. These studies identified distinct reaction pathways involving phosphates compared with other common organophosphorus compounds (e.g., phosphoesters), as well as suggest the involvement of both ambient water and atmospheric oxygen in CP bond cleavage. There is only a small amount of water oxygen incorporated into product PO₄ after cleavage of the CP bond in MPn, suggesting atmospheric O₂ or radicals formed from O₂ under Ultra Violet Radiation (UVR), as the primary source of O that replaces C in the CP bond of MPn. Model calculations suggest that the δ¹⁸O_P signature of phosphate released via UV-degradation of phosphates is largely (75%) inherited from the original phosphate substrate. This opens up the possibility of tracing and differentiating specific phosphate sources of dissolved phosphate from other organophosphorus (Porg) sources (e.g., phosphoesters) used in primary production, as well as for tracing specific MPn sources of atmospheric methane.

The influence of selected bivalent metal ions on the photolysis of diethylenetriamine penta(methylenephosphonic acid)

DTPMP is predominantly utilized as scale inhibitor. We investigated the reaction rates and degradation mechanism of DTPMP with and without addition of Fe²⁺, Mg²⁺ and Ca²⁺ by performing LC/MS and ³¹P NMR analyses. DTPMP undergoes conversion with and without addition of bivalent metal ions. The initial cleavage of DTPMP is initiated at the CN bond leading to release of IDMP as its major breakdown product. The release of smaller quantities of EABMP and AMPA confirmed the nucleophilic attack on the DTPMP amines. Oxidation of Fe²⁺ to Fe³⁺ during the initial 30 min indicated an intramolecular electron transfer changing the electron density distribution at the nitrogen centre, which increased the radical attack during UV irradiation. Independent of the fact that Fe²⁺ acted as catalyst and Mg²⁺ and Ca²⁺ acted as reactants, we found no significant differences in their degradation mechanisms. However, the reaction rates were strongly affected by the addition of the bivalent metal ions as Fe²⁺ accelerated most DTPMP degradation followed by Mg²⁺ and Ca²⁺. The UV treatment without metal ion addition was four times slower compared with Fe²⁺ addition. We conclude that in environments rich in ferrous iron and/or at reduced redox potential, photolysis of DTPMP will be catalysed by iron and will lead to accumulation of IDMP, EABMP and AMPA and several other none-quantifiable breakdown products.

The Role of Fe-Bearing Phyllosilicates in DTPMP Degradation under High-Temperature and High-Pressure Conditions

To ensure safer and more efficient unconventional oil/gas recovery and other energy-related subsurface operations, it is important to understand the effects of abundant Fe-bearing phyllosilicates on the degradation of phosphonates, which are applied to inhibit scale formation. In this study, under subsurface relevant conditions (i.e., slightly oxic owing to oxygen-containing injection, 50-95 °C, and 102 atm CO₂), we reacted 0.5 mM DTPMP (diethylenetriaminepenta(methylene)phosphonate, a model phosphonate) with three phyllosilicates: an Fe-poor muscovite, an Fe(II)-rich biotite, and an Fe(III)-rich nontronite. The three phyllosilicates induced different effects on DTPMP degradation, with no distinguishable effect by muscovite, slight promotion by nontronite, and remarkable promotion by biotite. We found that Fe associated with phyllosilicates is key to the redox degradation of DTPMP: reactive oxygen species (ROS) were generated through the reduction of molecular oxygen by Fe(II) adsorbed on the mineral surface or in the mineral structure, and the hydroxyl radicals further degraded DTPMP to form phosphate, formate, and DTPMP residuals. In addition, DTPMP degradation was favored at higher temperatures, probably resulting from more exposed reactive Fe(II) sites created by enhanced biotite dissolution and also from faster electron transfers. Dissolved Fe and Al precipitated with phosphate or degraded DTPMP and formed secondary minerals. This study provides new information about how DTPMP degradation is affected by the presence of Fe-bearing phyllosilicates under high-temperature and high-pressure conditions and has implications for engineered subsurface operations.

On the degradation pathway of glyphosate and glycine

The degradation in water of the most widespread herbicide, glyphosate, is still under debate. Experimental disagreements on this process exist and there are only a few theoretical studies to support any conclusions. Moreover, the relationship between glyphosate and glycine is underestimated. Besides the structural similarity, glycine is a product of glyphosate degradation; hence, their studies are complementary. In this study, two mechanisms for the decomposition of the glyphosate molecule and glycine molecule in water are proposed. These mechanisms were explored by using quantum mechanical calculations. A combined microsolvation/PCM approach was employed to find and characterize their transition states, by which the reaction pathways were determined via the IRC method. The results have shown that the degradation processes might occur via a C-C bond cleavage, through a concerted mechanism, whereby the proton transfers and the CO2 detachments occur simultaneously. The second mechanism had two consecutive steps, a decarboxylation followed by the proton transfers. The water molecules served as a conduit for the proton transfers, away from the amine group (or the phosphonate, glyphosate case). Their function was to assist the reactions in a water-mediated decarboxylation. In these particular cases, the free energy of activation was 42.68 and 42.28 kcal mol-1 for the glycine structure and the glyphosate structure, respectively. These results agreed with the photodegradation and thermodegradation of glyphosate, as well as with the spontaneous decarboxylation of glycine. A concerted mechanism might be expected to yield C-P and C-N bond cleavages in the glyphosate molecule.

Degradation of Glyphosate by Mn-Oxide May Bypass Sarcosine and Form Glycine Directly after C-N Bond Cleavage

Glyphosate is the active ingredient of the common herbicide Roundup. The increasing presence of glyphosate and its byproducts has raised concerns about its potential impact on the environment and human health. In this research, we investigated abiotic pathways of glyphosate degradation as catalyzed by birnessite under aerobic and neutral pH conditions to determine whether certain pathways have the potential to generate less harmful intermediate products. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were utilized to identify and quantify reaction products, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations were used to investigate the bond critical point (BCP) properties of the C-N bond in glyphosate and Mn(IV)-complexed glyphosate. We found that sarcosine, the commonly recognized precursor to glycine, was not present at detectable levels in any of our experiments despite the fact that its half-life (∼13.6 h) was greater than our sampling intervals. Abiotic degradation of glyphosate largely followed the glycine pathway rather than the AMPA (aminomethylphosphonic acid) pathway. Preferential cleavage of the phosphonate adjacent C-N bond to form glycine directly was also supported by our BCP analysis, which revealed that this C-N bond was disproportionately affected by the interaction of glyphosate with Mn(IV). Overall, these results provide useful insights into the potential pathways through which glyphosate may degrade via relatively benign intermediates.

Unravelling the nature of glyphosate binding to goethite surfaces by ab initio molecular dynamics simulations

Investigation of the interaction between glyphosate (GLP) and soil minerals is essential for understanding GLP's fate in the environment. Whereas GLP-goethite binding has been discussed extensively, the impact of water as well as of different goethite surface planes has not been studied yet. In this contribution, periodic density functional theory-based molecular dynamics simulations are applied to explore possible binding mechanisms for GLP with three goethite surface planes (010, 001, and 100) in the presence of water. The investigation included several binding motifs of monodentate (M) and bidentate (B) type. It was found that the binding stability increases in the order M@001 < M@010 < (2O + 2Fe) B@100 < M@100 < (1O + 2Fe) B@001 < (2O + 1Fe) B@010. This behavior has been traced to the presence of intramolecular H-bonds (HBs) in GLP as well as intermolecular HBs between GLP and water, GLP and goethite, and water and goethite. These interactions are accompanied by proton transfer from GLP to water and to goethite, and from water to goethite as well as water dissociation at the goethite surface. Further, it was observed that the OH^- species can replace the adsorbed GLP at the goethite surface, which could explain the well-known drastic drop in GLP adsorption at high pH. The present results highlight the role of water in the GLP-goethite interaction and provide a molecular level perspective on available experimental data.