Author(s) :

Ari Shukla.

Volume/Issue :

Abstract :

Auxin herbicides are widely used in agriculture and gardening. Auxin herbicides mimic the natural plant hormone auxin and result in abnormal cell division which leads to the death of broadleaf weeds while not affecting monocot plants such as grasses and grain crops. While auxin herbicides have been widely regarded as safe, there is growing evidence about their impact on non-target organisms and groundwater contamination. In this study, I used duckweed (Lemna minor) to assess its ability to absorb quinclorac (carboxylic acid of 3,7-dichloroquinoline) and 2,4-D (2,4-Dichlorophenoxy acetic acid) which are widely used auxin herbicides. To analyze for the concentration of quinclorac and 2,4-D in solution, we developed a Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) method by measuring absorbance at 254 nm. The analytical method successfully separated the two chemicals and showed linearity and sensitivity over a wide range of concentrations. Duckweed successfully removed 30-50% of the initial 2,4-D and quinclorac from water. These results demonstrate that natural duckweed-based bioremediation is viable way of removing auxin herbicides from water bodies.