4-Amino-2-chloro-1,3,5-triazine: A New Metabolite of Atrazine by a Soil Bacterium

Abstract

The degradation of herbicide atrazine (2-chloro-4-ethylamino-6-isopropylamino-l, 3, 5-triazine) by a soil bacterium is reported. The bacterium involved is a species of Nocardia, which utilizes the atrazine as the sole source of carbon and nitrogen. A new metabolite, 4-amino-2-chloro-l, 3, 5-triazine, of the degradation of atrazine in the presence of glucose has been identified. The results further substantiated that atrazine can be degraded by soil micro-organisms and indicated that deamination can also occur, as well as dealkylation. 4-Amino-2-chloro-l,3,5-triazine did not show phytotoxic activity to oat (Avena sativa L.), demonstrating that deamination insures detoxification. © 1980, Japan Society for Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Agrochemistry. All rights reserved.