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2,4‐D—Its Distribution and Effects in a Ryegrass Ecosystem
Author(s) -
Gile Jay D.
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
journal of environmental quality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1537-2537
pISSN - 0047-2425
DOI - 10.2134/jeq1983.00472425001200030019x
Subject(s) - lolium perenne , microcosm , loam , ecosystem , residue (chemistry) , zoology , agronomy , chemistry , environmental chemistry , vole , biology , botany , soil water , poaceae , ecology , population , biochemistry , demography , sociology
The fate and effects of the 14 C‐labeled butyl ester of 2,4‐D (2,4‐dichlorophenoxyacetic acid) applied as a foliar spray (1 kg ha −1 ) were examined in a simulated ryegrass ( Lolium perenne ) ecosystem. The ecosystem consisted of a sandy loam soil, annual ryegrass, numerous invertebrates, and a gray‐tailed vole ( Microtus canicaudus ) housed in a terrestrial microcosm chamber (TMC‐II). In addition to 2,4‐D distribution, the study was designed to evaluate the reproducibility of data derived from TMC‐II studies within and between experiments. One month after 2,4‐D application, all of the 14 C materials detected in the soil were present as unextractable residues in the top 1 cm; plant material contained an average of 8.9 mg kg −1 , identified primarily as 2,5‐dichloro‐4‐hydroxyphenoxyacetic acid. Residue levels in the animals ranged from 0.6 mg kg −1 for earthworms ( Lumbricus spp.) to 5.3 mg kg −1 in pillbugs ( Armandillarium spp.) of unidentified 14 C residues. In excess of 90% of the material collected in the air stream was recovered within 24 h of application, which was identified as the butyl ester with no acid metabolites evident. The only effect observed in the ecosystem was a weight loss in the voles exposed to 2,4‐D, in comparison with the control.