The Adsorption Properties of Agricultural and Forest Soils Towards Heavy Metal Ions (Ni,Cu, Zn,and Cd)

Adsorption of Cu, Cd, Ni, and Zn in single and multi-metal solutions by agricultural and forest soils was investigated in batch sorption experiments. The results showed significant differences in sorption capacities of the studied soils. The selectivity order was as follows: agricultural soil? top forest soil > bottom forest soil. The adsorption sequence Cu > Zn > Ni > Cd was established for the agricultural and bottom forest soil, while the order for the top forest soil was Cu > Ni > Zn > Cd. The experimental isotherms for the metal sorption were described satisfactorily by the Freundlich and Langmuir models. The competitive adsorption experiment indicated a reduction in the amount of metals adsorbed by the soils from the multi-metal solution compared to the single metal solution. Properties of the soils, such as pH, content of clay and organic matter, exchangeable bases and hydrolytic acidity, showed a significant influence on adsorption capacities of the studied soils.     

Enhancement of TCE Attenuation in Soils by Natural Amendments

The objective of this study was to identify low-cost natural amendments that could be used as carbon sources and sustain a bioactive zone to promote biodegradation of TCE in contaminated shallow groundwater. The natural amendments were compared based on their geophysical characteristics as well as TCE adsorption capacities. The amendments studied included low-cost natural and agricultural materials such as eucalyptus tree mulch, pine bark mulch, muck from the Florida Everglades, SRS wetland peat, commercial compost, and peat humus. These natural substrates have relatively high organic fractions that can retard the movement of TCE while serving as carbon sources. Batch sorption studies were conducted to determine the sorption and retardation characteristics of the amendments for TCE. The experimental results were analyzed in relation to the geophysical characteristics of the amendments and compared with those of natural soils.     

Regionalization of sorption capacities for arsenic and cadmium

To fulfill the purpose as a sink for trace elements, soils must not be overloaded with As and Cd. Therefore, it is necessary to get knowledge of the sorption capacities of soils on a regional scale. The determination of these sorption capacities for large areas is, however, impeded by the great expenditure of laboratory work involved. With data presented here retention capacities for cadmium and arsenic from routinely determined soil parameters are estimated. In batch experiments the sorption behaviour of 40 soils from the area of Freiberg/Saxony in Germany was examined. The obtained sorption isotherms from the laboratory were fitted to the Freundlich equation (S = k^*C^m). The two constants (k, m) of this equation were used for multiple linear regression to correlate the sorption capacity and the soil parameters, namely clay content, pH value, total organic carbon, and dithionite extractable Fe contents. Due to long lasting ore mining of Freiberg there exist high background levels in that area for the two surveyed elements As and Cd. Therefore, this study offers two different mathematical procedures to take these contaminations into account. Thus the experimental data were corrected before they were fitted to Freundlich and pedotransfer equations were determined. Using the transfer equation, parameter k and m for cadmium sorption could be estimated with statistical certainties of 91% and 61% (adjusted R²), respectively, whereas the predictability for the arsenic sorption is not practicable because achieved R₂ values are very low (17% and 7%). This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Variation in Phosphorus Sorption with Soil Particle Size

Phosphorus (P) is considered a primary cause for surface water eutrophication that leads to anoxia. Understanding the relationships between soil particle size and P sorption helps devise effective best management practices (BMPs) to control P transport by erosion, leaching, and overland flow from agricultural land. Consequently, this study examined the effect of surface soil particle size on the sorption of P in five soil series (four Ultisols and one Entisol) from the Mid-Atlantic region. The sorption of P in each soil was assessed by equilibrating (after shaking for 24?h) 5?g soil containing varied amounts of KH₂PO₄ in 20?mL of 0.01?M KCl solution. Phosphorus in solution was determined by the molybdate blue method of Murphy and Riley. The P adsorption characteristics of these soils were described using the Langmuir isotherm. Results indicated that variability in P sorption was related to particle size and soil type. Soil organic matter content contributed a great deal to P sorption in the Entisol. However, soil clay had influence on the P sorption characteristics of each soil. The maximum P retentive capacities of soils (as determined by Sm from Langmuir equation) and P sorbed at 500?mg P kg^?1 addition showed a linear relationship (r2 = 0.94). Therefore, based on the results obtained, the single point method of Bache and Williams may be appropriate to describe the maximum P sorption capacity of non-sandy soils, as observed in this study.     

Potential role of soil properties in the spread of CWD in western Canada

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a horizontally transmissible prion disease of free ranging deer, elk and moose. Recent experimental transmission studies indicate caribou are also susceptible to the disease. CWD is present in southeast Alberta and southern Saskatchewan. This CWD-endemic region is expanding, threatening Manitoba and areas of northern Alberta and Saskatchewan, home to caribou. Soil can serve as a stable reservoir for infectious prion proteins; prions bound to soil particles remain infectious in the soils for many years. Soils of western Canada are very diverse and the ability of CWD prions to bind different soils and the impact of this interaction on infectivity is not known. In general, clay-rich soils may bind prions avidly and enhance their infectivity comparable to pure clay mineral montmorillonite. Organic components of soils are also diverse and not well characterized, yet can impact prion-soil interaction. Other important contributing factors include soil pH, composition of soil solution and amount of metals (metal oxides). In this review, properties of soils of the CWD-endemic region in western Canada with its surrounding terrestrial environment are described and used to predict bioavailability and, thus, potential spread of CWD. The major soils in the CWD-endemic region of Alberta and Saskatchewan are Chernozems, present in 60% of the total area; they are generally similar in texture, clay mineralogy and soil organic matter content, and can be characterized as clay loamy, montmorillonite (smectite) soils with 6–10% organic carbon. The greatest risk of CWD spread in western Canada relates to clay loamy, montmorillonite soils with humus horizon. Such soils are predominant in the southern region of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, but are less common in northern regions of the provinces where quartz-illite sandy soils with low amount of humus prevail.     

On the tropical soils; The influence of organic matter (OM) on phosphate bioavailability

Application of organic manure (OM) and crop residues in agricultural soils can potentially influence positively or negatively the availability of soil phosphorus (P) through soil mineralization, sorption, or desorption of soil-bound P. Traditionally, the addition of OM can reduce the capacity of the soil colloids to adsorb P, thus increasing the release of P in soil solution, but also added OM can increase the adsorption site and increase the fixation or sorption of P to soil colloids, thus reducing the availability of P in soil solution and loss to the environment. The highly weathered tropical soils (HWTS) are susceptible to P insufficiency because HWTS have high P adsorption and fixation; this is mainly due to high concentration of P adsorbent. The main P adsorbents in HWTS include Al, Fe, Ca, and clay minerals, which are principally the same binding or adsorbent for OM compounds, but in excess, are toxic (Al and Fe) to crops. Thus, the presence of OM in HWTS can compromise the adsorption and availability of P in agricultural soils following phosphatic fertilizer applications. In this study, the influence of OM on P adsorption and availability was characterized to have a clear understanding of how OM influences P availability in agricultural soils, especially in highly weathered tropical soil. It is clearly outlined that the application of OM and crop residues can positively or negatively influence the availability of P in agricultural soils for plant uptake and dictate the P that is available for loss to the environment. Thus, the addition of organic matter as a strategy to increase P bioavailability for plant uptake must be treated with care because their contribution is not strait forward to be positive in many agricultural soils.     

Transport and transformation of hexavalent chromium through soils and into ground water

A detailed characterization of the underlying and adjacent soils of a chrome‐plating shop was performed to provide information on the extent of soil and aquifer contamination at the site and on the potential for off‐site migration and environmental impact. Intact, moist cores were obtained from more than 40 different locations, resulting in more than 200 discrete samples for total metal analysis, selective extraction tests, and adsorption‐reduction experiments, to assess the chemical speciation and distribution of chromium on the contaminated soils and its leaching potential. Surface analytical techniques were also used to determine chemical speciation and to further elucidate mineral fractions responsible for retention of the chromium on the soils and sediments. Adsorption and reduction capacities of the saturated aquifer sediments were variable and low, while the unsaturated soils’ reduction capacities were much greater and were correlated with depth (decreasing capacity with increasing depth). The soils’ adsorption and reduction capacities were eventually overwhelmed, however, and permitted the passage of Cr(VI) into the underlying ground water. Adsorption capacity differences were primarily related to clay content and pH, and less so to the presence of amorphous iron oxide coatings on matrix minerals as operationally defined by the selective extraction methods used in the study. Reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) and subsequent precipitation as (Fe, Cr)(OH)₃ is proposed as the primary attenuation mechanism in the unsaturated soils immediately beneath the shop, based on extraction and surface analyses results.     

溶解性有机碳在红壤水稻土中的吸附及其影响因素

吸附作用是影响土壤中溶解性有机碳(DOC)迁移转化及生物有效性的重要反应过程,研究DOC在土壤中的吸附行为,对正确阐明土壤有机碳的循环和转化特征以及进行污染风险评估有重要意义.采用平衡法研究了红壤水稻土对DOC的吸附特征,并分析土壤有机质、粘粒含量及pH值与DOC吸附量之间的关系.结果表明,供试土壤对DOC的吸附等温线符合Freundlich和Linear方程.不同土壤对DOC的吸附能力有明显差异.在相同浓度下,DOC吸附量以第四纪红色粘土发育的低肥力水稻土最大,第三纪红砂岩风化物发育的低肥力水稻土次之,两种高肥力水稻土最小.土壤对DOC的吸附过程分为快、慢两个阶段,0-0.25 h内DOC的吸附速率最大,随着时间的推移,吸附速率渐小,2-4 h后基本达到吸附平衡.描述供试土壤对DOC吸附动力学过程的最优模型为一级扩散方程,其次为Elovich方程和抛物扩散方程.粘粒含量和有机质是影响土壤DOC吸附量的重要因素,随着粘粒含量的增加,有机质含量的降低,DOC的吸附量增大.     

Effects of DNA Polymer Length on Its Adsorption to Soils

Three different DNA fragments ranging size from 2.69 kbp (1.75 MDa) to 23 kbp (14.95 MDa) were used as tracers to study the adsorption of polydisperse solutions of calf thymus DNA to eight model soils. The adsorption of the three tracers to all soils was described by the Freundlich adsorption model, with adsorption coefficients (K) ranging from 1.1 for acid-washed sand to over 300 for one soil. An inverse relationship between tracer size and K was observed with six of the eight soils, indicating that smaller fragments are sorbed preferentially versus larger fragments in these soils. No significant correlation between K and the organic carbon contents, clay contents, pHs, or cation exchange capacities of the model soils was observed.     

Sorption Behavior of Cesium in Two Greek Soils: Effects of Cs Initial Concentration,Clay Mineralogy,and Particle-size Fraction

The characteristics of Cs sorption behavior in two soils (soil 1 and soil 2) with nearly the same clay content and exhangeable K concentration, but with different clay mineralogy, were studied by the quantification of the distribution coefficient (k_d). It was observed that as the initial Cs concentration increased from 4 to 50 mg L^?1, the k_d values decreased in both soils, suggesting a progressive saturation of Cs available sorption sites. However, the presence of expansible 2:1 phyllosilicates minerals in the clay fraction of soil 2 maintained a high Cs sorption ability for this soil, even at high Cs concentrations. The experimental data were also fitted to the Freundlich isotherm and the results showed that parameters of the Freundlich equation could be used to estimate the degree of Cs sorption and the nature of the available sorption sites. For the studied soils, the k_f and the k_d values followed a similar trend and the n Freundlich constant values provided a reliable indicator for the soils’ clay mineralogy. The removal of the sand fraction enhanced Cs sorption in both soils and the absence of sorbed Cs ions on the quartz minerals, as observed by the SEM analysis, additionally supported the effect of particle-size fraction on Cs sorption.     

Microbially Available Phosphorus in Boreal Forests: Effects of Aluminum and Iron Accumulation in the Humus Layer

Soil microorganisms play an important role in the mobilization of phosphorus (P), and these activities may be beneficial for plant P utilization. We investigated the effects on microbial P availability of different combinations of aluminum and iron (Al + Fe) concentrations and different P pools in humus soils from boreal forest ecosystems. We measured respiration rates in laboratory incubations before and after additions of glucose plus (NH₄)₂SO₄ (Glu+N), with or without a small dose of KH₂PO₄. Glu+N was added in excess so that the availability of the inherent soil P would be growth-limiting for the microorganisms. The exponential increases observed in microbial growth after substrate additions (Glu+N) was slower for humus soils with high Al+Fe concentrations than for humus soils with low Al+Fe concentrations. Adding a small dose of KH₂PO₄ to humus soils with high Al+Fe concentrations did, however, increase the exponential growth, measured as the slope of the log-transformed respiration rates, by more than 200%. By contrast, the average increase in exponential growth was only 6% in humus soils with low Al+Fe concentrations. Almost eight times more carbon dioxide (CO₂) was evolved between the substrate additions and the point at which the respiration rate reached 1 mg CO₂ h^–1 for soils with high Al+Fe concentrations compared to humus soils with low Al+Fe concentrations. The amount of CO₂ evolved was positively related to the Al+Fe concentration of the humus soils (r ² = 0.86, P < 0.001), whereas the slope was negatively related to Al+Fe concentration (r ² = 0.70, P < 0.001). Easily available P forms were negatively related to the Al+Fe concentration, whereas organic P showed a strong positive relationship to Al+Fe (r ² = 0.85, P < 0.001), suggesting that other forms of P, as well as inorganic P, are affected by the increased sorption capacity. The results indicate that P mobilization by microorganisms is affected by the presence of sorption sites in the humus layer, and that this capacity for sorption may relate not only to phosphate but also to organic P compounds.     

Towards soil management with Zn and Mn: estimates of fertilisation efficacy of Citrus trees

Nutrient management recommendations for fruit crops lack the understanding of the efficiency of soil fertilisation with manganese (Mn) and zinc (Zn), which could substitute, in part, the traditional foliar applications. Fruit yield of trees in response to Zn and Mn supply via soil may be limited either by sorption reactions with soil colloids or low solubility of fertilisers. We investigated the effects of fertiliser sources and rates of Mn and Zn applied to soils with different sorption capacities on nutrient uptake, biochemical responses and biomass of Citrus. Two experiments were carried out with 2‐year‐old sweet orange trees that received applications of Mn or Zn. The first experiment evaluated the application of Mn fertilisers (MnCO₃ and MnSO₄) at three levels of the nutrient (0, 0.7 and 3.5 g plant^?1 of Mn) in two types of soil (18.1% and 64.4% of clay, referred to as sandy loam and clay soils, respectively). The second experiment, likewise, evaluated Zn fertilisers (ZnO and ZnSO₄) and nutrient levels (0, 1.0 and 5.0 g plant^?1 of Zn). Application of Mn and Zn increased nutrient availability in the soils as well as leaf nutrient concentrations in the trees. The lowest rates, 0.7 g plant^?1 of Mn and 1.0 g plant^?1 of Zn, both as sulphate, were sufficient to supply these micronutrients to sufficient levels in leaves, flowers and fruits. Metal toxicity to plants occurred with higher doses of both nutrients and to a large extent in the sandy soil. In this case, protein bands lower than 25 kDa were observed as well a decrease on leaf chlorophyll content. In the clay soil, despite increased micronutrient concentrations in the plant, responses were less pronounced because of higher adsorption of metals in the soil. Superoxide dismutase (SOD, EC 1.15.1.1) isoenzyme activity was determined by non‐denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). The Cu/Zn‐SOD isoenzymes increased with increased Zn rates, but in contrast, when Mn was applied at the highest rate, the activity of Cu/Zn‐SODs decreased. The SOD activity pattern observed indicated increased production of superoxide and consequently an oxidative stress condition at the highest rates of Zn and Mn applied. The results demonstrated that the soil application of Mn and Zn can supply nutrient demands of orange trees, however the low solubility of fertilisers and the high sorption capacity of soils limit fertilisation efficiency. On the contrary, application of sulphate source in sandy soils may cause excess uptake of Mn and Zn and oxidative stress, which impairs the photosynthetic apparatus and consequently tree growth.     

Humification of straw at different nitrogen levels followed by acriflavine adsorption and light absorption

Summary Humic compounds isolated from decomposing wheat and rye straw, incubated for different periods with and without nitrogen added, were investigated for their acriflavine adsorption capacity and light absorption property. In the first instance, it was established that the degree of dyestuff adsorption on the acid-precipitable humic compounds is correlated with the extent in optical density of the total humus extracted by weak alkaline solution. Furthermore, the influence of nitrogen added on the rate of humification could be followed closely by the adsorption and absorption characteristics. It was demonstrated that the initially increased rate of humus formation, achieved by the addition of nitrogen, was compensated for by a decrease of such compounds when the experimental period was extended. It seems, that humic substances, after exhaustion of the easily available carbon and nitrogen sources, may again play a role in the metabolic cycle of the micro-organisms.     

Phosphate sorption isotherms for evaluating phosphorus requirement of wetland rice soils

Summary Phosphate sorption isotherms were developed for five Philippine wetland rice soils using the conventional technique and a modified one. In the conventional method, P requirements of soils varied between 280 and 810 g P/g soil. In the modified method, they varied from 160 to 540 g P/g soil at 0.2 ppm P in solution. Soils with high P-sorption capacities had vermiculite and halloysite as the dominant clay minerals. Soil reduction by flooding decreased P-sorption by 28–70 percent at 0.2 ppm P in solution. The decrease in P-sorption due to soil reduction was greatest in a crystalline soil with vermiculite and halloysite as the dominant clay minerals and least in a soil with dominant X-ray amorphous silicates in the clay fraction.Desorption of freshly adsorbed P under reduction was greater in HCO ₃ ^– solution than in CaCl₂ and it increased with level of applied P. Desorption patterns of freshly adsorbed P were similar to adsorption patterns but values of P in solution were lower at desorption. Soils varied with respect to desorption of freshly sorbed P. Desorption studies indicate that soils vary in intensity factor with respect to P and thus influence P availability to plants. Use of P-sorption and P-desorption data obtained under reduced soil condition was proposed for detecting P needs of submerged rice soils.Results of a pot study with IR36 at different levels of solution P (reduced) in one soil indicated a high degree of correlation between adjusted P levels and the measured growth parameters. About 0.12 ppm P in the soil solution or 0.46 ppm P desorbed in HCO ₃ ^– solution (equivalent to 100 mg P/kg soil) was adequate for near-maximum plant height, tiller production, total dry matter yield, plant P content, and total P uptake.     

Complex Interaction and Adsorption of Glyphosate and Lead in Soil

Glyphosate [N-(phosphonomethyl)-glycine] is a herbicide widely used in large quantities in agricultural applications. It is also known to form complexes with metal ions, although its influence on metal behavior, such as lead (Pb) in soil, is not well understood. In this study, the adsorption and co-adsorption of Pb and glyphosate were determined on two soils [a red (RS) soil, Udic Ferrisol, and a yellow-brown (YB) soil, Udic Luvisol] of distinctly different chemical characteristics at varying pH conditions. Results indicate that the adsorption of lead and glyphosate strongly depends on soil types: the RS soil, characterized by a relatively high iron/aluminum content but a low pH and organic matter content, shows a much lower adsorption capacity for Pb but a higher sorption for glyphosate than the YB soil. The co-existence of Pb and glyphosate in soils resulted in complex interactions among Pb, glyphosate, Pb-glyphosate complexes, and soil minerals. The presence of glyphosate decreased Pb adsorption on the two soils, which was attributed primarily to the formation of soluble Pb-glyphosate complexes having relatively low affinities to soil surfaces. On the other hand, addition of Pb increased the adsorption of glyphosate on both soils, which was attributed to: (1) a decreased solution pH due to the ion exchange between Pb²⁺ and H⁺ on soil surfaces; and (2) increased sorption sites where Pb was adsorbed and acted as a bridge between glyphosate and the soil. The present study illustrates that the complex interactions among glyphosate, Pb, and soil may have important implications for the mobility and bioavailability of Pb in soil and should thus be considered in future environmental risk assessments.     

Slow vapor‐phase desorption of toluene from several ion‐exchanged montmorillonites

The sorption and desorption of volatile compounds from soils and clays exhibit a wide range of kinetics. While much of the sorptive interaction is very rapid, a certain fraction of volatile compounds that enter soil and clays are only slowly desorbed. It is generally believed that the formation of this recalcitrant or slowly desorbing fraction of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in soils is due to the diffusion of compounds to poorly accessible sorption sites. However, the exact nature of these sites is in doubt. In montmorillonite, there are two likely possibilities for formation of the recalcitrant fraction: sites between the clay lamella and sites within clay particle aggregates. Because montmorillonite may be an important fraction of many soils, we have explored the formation of slowly desorbing toluene on a montmorillonite clay that was ion exchanged with five different ions (K⁺, Na⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, and Fe³⁺) to form mineralogically similar clays with varying interlamellar spacing. The recalcitrant fraction was quantified for varying sorption and desorption times. The type of ion exchanged into the clay appears to have an important influence on the formation of a recalcitrant fraction.     

Adsorption of urea by some Sudan soils

Summary Experiments were carried out to measure direct adsorption of urea in some Sudan soils and to compare two methods for controlling urea hydrolysis. All the soils examined showed some capacity to adsorb urea. Urea adsorption was related to both the exchange capacity and clay content; the exchange capacity giving higher correlation than the clay content. Both autoclaving and mercuric chloride treatments controlled hydrolysis almost completely. Autoclaving was preferred as the method of controlling hydrolysis in this work.     

Uptake and transfer factors of137Cs by mushrooms

Summary The¹³⁷Cs content of 118 species (668 samples) of higher fungi collected in the period from August 1984 to October 1989 at three different locations in Styria, Austria, was determined by gamma-spectrometry. The Cs-content of most mushrooms has been increasing since September 1986. In order to find out which factors determine the¹³⁷Cs-contamination of mushrooms and the transfer-value soil to mushroom, the concentration of total and plant-available radiocesium in soils as well as the pH-value, the content of humus, clay, silt, sand, exchangeable cations, the composition of the clay minerals, and the particle size distribution of the soils of two different locations were examined. The higher the¹³⁷Cs contamination of the soil, the thicker the layer of humus and the higher the content of humus, the lower the pH-value, and the lower the amount of essential cations, especially of K⁺, the higher the amount of¹³⁷Cs plant-available will be. Therefore, the contamination of the mushrooms in the coniferous forest of Koralpenblick (1000 m) is higher than in the mixed forest at the Rosenberg around Graz at approx. 500 m height. Of 26 different species of mushrooms measured at both sites, only 61% show the highest TF-values soil to mushrooms also at the Koralpenblick. In the spruce forest at Koralpenblick there are many species of mushrooms with high¹³⁷Cs-contamination which were not found at the Rosenberg. However, the properties of the species to which a mushroom belongs are more important than environmental conditions and soil properties. The transfer values of⁴⁰K stay within narrow bounds, whereas those of¹³⁷Cs differ widely.Dedicated to Prof. Dr. Otto Härtel on the occasion of his 80th birthday     

Quantification of bias related to the extraction of DNA directly from soils

In recent years, several protocols based on the extraction of nucleic acids directly from the soil matrix after lysis treatment have been developed for the detection of microorganisms in soil. Extraction efficiency has often been evaluated based on the recovery of a specific gene sequence from an organism inoculated into the soil. The aim of the present investigation was to improve the extraction, purification, and quantification of DNA derived from as large a portion of the soil microbial community as possible, with special emphasis placed on obtaining DNA from gram-positive bacteria, which form structures that are difficult to disrupt. Furthermore, we wanted to identify and minimize the biases related to each step in the procedure. Six soils, covering a range of pHs, clay contents, and organic matter contents, were studied. Lysis was carried out by soil grinding, sonication, thermal shocks, and chemical treatments. DNA was extracted from the indigenous microflora as well as from inoculated bacterial cells, spores, and hyphae, and the quality and quantity of the DNA were determined by gel electrophoresis and dot blot hybridization. Lysis efficiency was also estimated by microscopy and viable cell counts. Grinding increased the extracellular DNA yield compared with the yield obtained without any lysis treatment, but none of the subsequent treatments clearly increased the DNA yield. Phage lambda DNA was inoculated into the soils to mimic the fate of extracellular DNA. No more than 6% of this DNA could be recovered from the different soils. The clay content strongly influenced the recovery of DNA. The adsorption of DNA to clay particles decreased when the soil was pretreated with RNA in order to saturate the adsorption sites. We also investigated different purification techniques and optimized the PCR methods in order to develop a protocol based on hybridization of the PCR products and quantification by phosphorimaging.     

Mineralization Potential of Atrazine and Degradation Intermediates from Clustered Characteristics in Inoculated Soils

Soil properties impact pesticide persistence. Because these characteristics operate together in situ, identification of their clustered associations can help explain pesticide fate. Factor analysis was used to reduce the dimensionality of soil characteristics by grouping them into clustered independent factors, which were then related to the mineralization of atrazine and selected degradation intermediates. A Sharpsburg silty clay loam, Ortello sandy loam, and Hord silt loam were inoculated with a Hord soil that had a high capacity for atrazine mineralization. The soils were spiked with ¹⁴C-radiolabeled atrazine, deethylatrazine, hydroxyatrazine, N-isopropylammeline, N-isopropylammelide or cyanuric acid and sampled during incubation for 80 d (atrazine) or 40 d (degradation intermediates) at 22°C. Low mineralization in uninoculated soils demonstrated that the absence of atrazine-mineralizing microorganisms was most limiting. In inoculated soils, regression analysis indicated mineralization of atrazine (R² = 0.88) and its degradation intermediates (R² ≥ 0.89) was related to factors associated with bioavailability and microbial activity. For atrazine, this relationship indicated mineralization may be positively influenced by higher pH and available phosphorus, lower NO₃-N, organic carbon and clay contents, and lower adsorption. Our results show how factor analysis can be used in conjunction with multiple regression to determine mineralization potential and thus help identify soils with limited degradation capacities and possible long-term persistence.