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Persistence and Fate of 2,4‐D Butoxyethanol Ester in Artificial Ponds
Author(s) -
Birmingham Brendan C.,
Colman Brian
Publication year - 1985
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/jeq1985.00472425001400010020x
Subject(s) - myriophyllum , sediment , residue (chemistry) , chemistry , environmental chemistry , 2,4 dichlorophenoxyacetic acid , persistence (discontinuity) , zoology , chromatography , botany , aquatic plant , ecology , biology , geology , organic chemistry , paleontology , macrophyte , geotechnical engineering
A granular formulation of the butoxyethanol ester of 2,4‐dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4‐D) was applied at a rate of 23 kg a.i. ha −1 to outdoor, artificial, polythene‐lined ponds infested with Eurasian watermilfoil ( Myriophyllum spicatum L.). Water temperature dropped from 25°C at time of treatment to 0°C after 56 d and the ponds were frozen over for the rest of the study. Samples of plant material, pond water, and sediment were taken over a 180‐d period, extracted, and analyzed by gas chromatography to determine residue concentrations of ester and 2,4‐D. Ester levels in water were low and dropped to < 1.0 µ g L −1 within 15 d. Ester concentration in sediment 7 d post application was 1.7 µ g g dry wt −1 , but dropped to 0.1 µ g g dry wt −1 after 42 d. 2,4‐Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid residues in water declined to 1.0 mg L −1 after 85 d and to 0.2 mg L −1 after 178 d. Residues in plant material dropped to 10 µ g g dry wt −1 after 70 d; sediment residues were negligible after 50 d. Residues of 2,4‐dichlorophenol or 2,4‐dichloroanisole were not detected in any samples. Despite the low temperature prevailing in the latter half of the study, a relatively rapid rate of 2,4‐D breakdown was maintained both in pond water and sediment.