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Spatial variability in herbicide degradation in the subsurface environment of a groundwater protection zone
Author(s) -
Wood Martin,
Issa Salah,
Albuquerque Miriam,
Johnson Andrew C
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
pest management science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.296
H-Index - 125
eISSN - 1526-4998
pISSN - 1526-498X
DOI - 10.1002/ps.406
Subject(s) - atrazine , loam , mineralization (soil science) , environmental chemistry , groundwater , environmental science , organic matter , population , total organic carbon , carbon dioxide , soil water , biodegradation , chemistry , pesticide , soil science , agronomy , geology , biology , geotechnical engineering , demography , organic chemistry , sociology
The aim of this study was to investigate the spatial variability in degradation and mineralization of atrazine and isoproturon in subsurface samples taken from sandy loam soils overlying gravel terraces which form part of a groundwater protection zone. Percussion drilling was used to obtain samples from 11 boreholes (maximum depth 3 m). Unlabelled atrazine or isoproturon, and ring ‐ 14 C‐labelled atrazine or isoproturon were added to samples, incubated at 25 °C for up to 16 weeks, and analyzed for the residual herbicide or [ 14 C]carbon dioxide. All samples showed the potential to degrade these herbicides, although the percentage degradation decreased by a factor of 2–3 from the surface soil to a depth of 3 m. This was associated with a decrease in organic matter content, but there was no change in the potential to mineralize acetate, indicating that specific changes in the catabolic ability of the microbial population occurred with depth. The capacity of samples to mineralize atrazine and isoproturon to carbon dioxide decreased markedly with depth, with no mineralization potential observed at a depth of 80 cm. © 2001 Society of Chemical Industry