Toxicity of synthetic herbicides containing 2,4-D and MCPA moieties towards Pseudomonas putida mt-2 and its response at the level of membrane fatty acid composition

One of the attempts to create more effective herbicidal compounds includes the use of ionic liquids. Herbicidal ionic liquids have more effective biological activity, they are less volatile, more thermally stable, and exhibit superior efficiency in comparison to typically employed herbicides, allowing the reduction of the herbicide dose applied per hectare. However, studies on the environmental toxicity of this group of compounds are very rarely available. Environmental toxicity is an important factor, showing the concentration of compounds that has negative effects on soil bacteria including those responsible for biodegradation processes. Therefore, potential toxicity of four herbicidal ionic liquids (HILs) precursors containing 2,4-D and MCPA moieties was tested with the well investigated model organism for toxicity and adaptation, Pseudomonas putida mt-2. Results were compared to those obtained for commercial 2,4-D and MCPA herbicides. Next to growth inhibition, given as EC50, changes in the isomerisation of cis to trans unsaturated fatty acids were applied as proxy for cellular stress adaptation to toxic substances. The results revealed that all investigated precursors of HILs showed lower toxicity compared to commercialized synthetic herbicides 2,4-D and MCPA. The collected data on toxicity of HILs together with their physico-chemical properties might be useful for assessing the potential risk of the environmental pollution as well as guidelines for setting the legislation for their future use.