Persistence of acetochlor, atrazine, and S-metolachlor in surface and subsurface horizons of 2 typic argiudolls under no-tillage.

Variations in soil properties with depth strongly influence the degradation and persistence of herbicides, underlining the importance of studying these processes in soil horizons with distinctively different properties. The persistence of the herbicides acetochlor, atrazine, and S-metolachlor was measured in samples of the A, B, and C horizons of 2 Typic Argiudolls from Argentina under no-till management. The soils studied differed in soil organic carbon (OC) content, pH, particle size distribution, and structure. Quantification of herbicides in soil was done through high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detector. There were interactions of herbicide × horizon (p < 0.01) that resulted in degradation rates (k) of all herbicides decreasing, and their corresponding dissipation half-life (DT50) values increasing, with soil depth. Herbicide persistence across all soils and horizons ranged from 15 to 73 d for acetochlor, 13 to 29 d for atrazine, and 82 to 141 d for S-metolachlor, which had significantly (p < 0.01) greater persistence than atrazine and acetochlor. The DT50 values of herbicides were negatively correlated with the contents of OC (correlation coefficients ranging from -0.496 to -0.773), phosphorus (-0.427 to -0.564), and nitrogen-nitrate (-0.507 to -0.662), and with microbial activity (-0.454 to -0.687) and the adsorption coefficient (-0.530 to -0.595); DT50s were positively correlated with pH (0.366 to 0.648). Adsorption was likely the most influential process in determining persistence of these herbicides in surface and subsurface horizons. The present study can potentially improve the prediction of the fate of acetochlor, atrazine, and S-metolachlor in soils because it includes much needed information on the degradation of the herbicides in subsurface horizons. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:3065-3073. © 2017 SETAC.

Sorption of acetochlor, S-metolachlor, and atrazine in surface and subsurface soil horizons of Argentina.

Understanding herbicide sorption within soil profiles is the first step to predicting their behavior and leaching potential. Laboratory studies were conducted to determine the influence of surface and subsurface soil properties on acetochlor, atrazine, and S-metolachlor sorption. Soil samples were taken from horizons A, B, and C of two loamy soils of the humid pampas of Argentina under no-till management; horizon A was divided into two layers, A(0) (0-5 cm) and A(1) (5 cm to the full thickness of an A horizon). Sorption isotherms were determined from each sampled horizon using the batch equilibrium method and seven concentrations (0, 0.1, 0.5, 2.0, 5.0, 10.0, and 20.0 mg L(-1)). Sorption affinity of herbicides was approximated by the Freundlich equation. The sorption strength K(f) (mg(1 - 1/n) kg(-1) L(1/n) ) over the soils and horizons studied followed the order S-metolachlor (16.51-29.19) > atrazine (4.85-12.34) ≥ acetochlor (5.17-11.97), which was closely related to the hydrophobicity of herbicides expressed as octanol-water partition coefficient (K(OW) ). The K(f) values of the three herbicides were positively correlated with soil organic carbon, with a significance of p < 0.01. Values of K(f) for the three herbicides decreased with depth in the two soils, indicating greater sorption onto surficial soil horizons and possibly a delayed transport toward subsurface soils and subsequent pollution of groundwater.

Atrazine and metribuzin sorption in soils of the Argentinean humid pampas.

Laboratory studies were conducted to determine the influence of surface and subsurface properties of three representative soils of the humid pampas of Argentina on atrazine and metribuzin sorption. Atrazine and metribuzin sorption isotherms were constructed for each soil at four depths. Sorption affinity of herbicides was approximated by the Freundlich constant (K(f)), distribution coefficient (Kd), and the normalized Kd based on organic carbon content (K(oc)). Multiple regression of the sorption constants against selected soil properties indicated that organic carbon content (OC) and silt were related positively and negatively, respectively, to atrazine K(f) coefficient (r2 = 0.93), while Kd coefficient of atrazine was related positively to organic carbon content and negatively to both silt and cation exchange capacity (CEC) (r2 = 0.96). For metribuzin, only organic matter content was related positively to Kr coefficient (r2 = 0.51). Lower K(f) values for atrazine were obtained for all soils with increasing depth, indicating lesser sorption at greater depths. Metribuzin sorption was quite similar across all depths. Sorption constant K(f) of atrazine ranged from 2.06 to 7.82, while metribuzin K(f) values ranged from 1.8 to 3.52 and were lower than atrazine for all soils and depths, indicating a greater leaching potential across the soil profile.