Effect of dissolved organic matters on napropamide availability and ecotoxicity in rapeseed ( Brassica napus )

Napropamide is a herbicide widely used for controlling annual weeds. Substantial use of napropamide in recent years has led to its bioaccumulation in ecosystems and thus contamination to crops. Meanwhile, application of dissolved organic matters (DOMs) to soils in the form of compost, sludge, or plant residues has become a popular practice in agriculture management owning to its low cost and recycling of nutrients. However, whether DOMs affect environmental behaviors of herbicides in soil-plant systems is poorly understood. This study investigated napropamide accumulation and biological responses as affected by DOMs in Brassica napus . Plants exposed to 0-16 mg/kg napropamide show inhibited growth and oxidative damage. Treatment with 50 mg of DOC/kg DOMs derived from either sludge or straw improved plant growth and reduced napropamide accumulation in plants. Both DOMs reduced the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the activities of antioxidative enzymes in napropamide-exposed plants. Analysis of FT-IR spectra confirmed the difference between structures of the two DOMs. Additional evidence was provided by three-dimensional excitation-emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectra to demonstrate the DOM-napropamide complex formed during the process of the interaction.