Biochar mediated alterations in herbicide breakdown and leaching in soil

Biochar application to soil has been proposed as a mechanism for improving soil quality and the long term sequestration of carbon. The implications of biochar on pesticide behavior, particularly in the longer term, however, remains poorly understood. Here we evaluated the influence of biochar type, time after incorporation into soil, dose rate and particle size on the sorption, biodegradation and leaching of the herbicide simazine. We show that typical agronomic application rates of biochar (10-100 t ha⁻¹) led to alterations in soil water herbicide concentrations, availability, transport and spatial heterogeneity. Overall, biochar suppressed simazine biodegradation and reduced simazine leaching. These responses were induced by a rapid and strong sorption of simazine to the biochar which limits its availability to microbial communities. Spatial imaging of ¹⁴C-labeled simazine revealed concentrated hotpsots of herbicide co-localized with biochar in the soil profile. The rate of simazine mineralization, amount of sorption and leaching was inversely correlated with biochar particle size. Biochar aged in the field for 2 years had the same effect as fresh biochar on the sorption and mineralization of simazine, suggesting that the effects of biochar on herbicide behavior may be long lasting. We conclude that biochar application to soil will reduce the dissipation of foliar applied pesticides decreasing the risk of environmental contamination and human exposure via transfer in the food chain, but may affect the efficacy of soil-applied herbicides.     

Degradation of [carboxyl-14C] 2,4-D and [ring-U-14C] 2,4-D in 114 agricultural soils as affected by soil organic carbon content

This study compared the degradation of [carboxyl-¹⁴C] 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) (C2,4-D) and [ring-U-¹⁴C] 2,4-D (R2,4-D) in 114 agricultural soils (0–15 cm) as affected by 2,4-D sorption and soil properties (organic carbon content, pH, clay content, carbonate content, cation exchange capacity, total microbial activity). The sample area was confined to Alberta, Canada, located 49–60° north longitude and 110–120° west latitude and soils were grouped by soil organic carbon content (SOC) (0–0.99%, 1–1.99%, 2–2.99%, 3–3.99% and >4% SOC). Degradation rates of C2,4-D and R2,4-D followed first-order kinetics in all soils. Although total microbial activity increased with increasing SOC, degradation rates and total degradation of C2,4-D and R2,4-D decreased with increasing SOC because of increased sorption of 2,4-D by soil and reduced bioavailability of 2,4-D and its metabolites. Rates of R2,4-D degradation were more limited by sorption than rates of C2,4-D degradation, possibly because of greater sorption and formation of bound residues of 2,4-D metabolites relative to the 2,4-D parent molecule. Based on the sorption and degradation parameters quantified, there were two distinct groups of soils, those with less than 1% SOC and those with greater than 1% SOC. Specifically, soils with less than 1% SOC had, on average, 2.4 times smaller soil organic carbon sorption coefficients and 1.4 times smaller 2,4-D half-lives than soils with more than 1% SOC. In regional scale model simulations of pesticide leaching to groundwater, covering many soils, input parameters for each pesticide include a single soil organic carbon sorption coefficient and single half-life value. Our results imply, however, that the approach to these regional scale assessments could be improved by adjusting the values of these two input parameters according to SOC. Specifically, this study indicates that for 2,4-D and Alberta soils containing less than 1% SOC, the 2,4-D pesticide parameters obtained from generic databases should be divided by 2.5 (soil organic carbon sorption coefficient) and 1.5 (half-life value).     

Effects of solid olive-mill waste addition to soil on sorption, degradation and leaching of the herbicide simazine

Abstract. A laboratory study was conducted to investigate the effects of adding an intermediary byproduct of olive oil extraction ( alperujo or solid olive-mill waste, SOMW) on the sorption, degradation and leaching of the herbicide simazine in a sandy loam soil. The effect of SOMW addition on soil porosity was also assessed. The soil was amended in the laboratory with SOMW at two different rates (5% and 10% w/w). Simazine sorption isotherms showed a great increase in herbicide sorption after SOMW addition to soil; sorption increased with the amount of SOMW added. Incubation studies showed extended persistence by reduced biodegradation of simazine in the soil amended with SOMW compared with the unamended soil. Although the addition of SOMW to soil increased the total porosity, breakthrough curves of simazine in handpacked soil columns showed that SOMW addition retarded the vertical movement of the herbicide through the soil and reduced the total amount of herbicide leached. It appeared that the longer residence time of simazine in the amended soil columns (>20 days) compared with that in the unamended soil column (<20 days) allowed enhanced degradation and/or irreversible sorption under column leaching conditions. The results revealed important changes in herbicide behaviour upon SOMW addition, confirming the need to assess these changes in order to optimize the combined use of organic wastes and soil-applied pesticides.     

Kinetic modeling of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) degradation in soil slurry by anodic fenton treatment

Anodic Fenton treatment (AFT) has been shown to be a promising technology in pesticide wastewater treatment. However, no research has been conducted on the AFT application to contaminated soils. In this study, the 2,4-D degradation kinetics of AFT in a silt loam soil slurry were investigated for the first time, and the effects of various experimental conditions including initial 2,4-D concentration, Fenton reagent delivery rate, amount of humic acid (HA) addition, and pH were examined. The 2,4-D degradation in soil slurry by AFT was found to follow a two-stage kinetic model. During the early stage of AFT (the first 4-5 min), the 2,4-D concentration profile followed a pseudo-first-order kinetic model. In the later stage (typically after 5 or 6 min), the AFT kinetic model provided a better fit. This result is most likely due to the existence of (*)OH scavengers and 2,4-D sorption on soil. The Fe(2+) delivery rate was shown to be a more significant factor in degradation rate than the H(2)O(2) delivery rate when the Fe(2+)/H(2)O(2) ratios were in the range of 1:2 to 1:10. The presence of HA in soil lowered the AFT rate, most probably due to the competition with 2,4-D for consumption of (*)OH and increased sorption of 2,4-D on soil. The optimal pH for 2,4-D degradation in soil slurry by AFT was observed to be in the range of pH 2-3.     

Inorganic and organic clays as carriers for controlled release of the herbicide hexazinone

The risk of ground water contamination resulting from rapid leaching of highly soluble pesticides can be minimized through the application of the pesticide adsorbed on a matrix or carrier, which limits the amount of pesticide immediately available for undesirable losses. The use of natural materials for this purpose is of special interest in terms of economy and sustainability. In this work the adsorption of the herbicide hexazinone by two montmorillonites saturated with various inorganic and organic cations was determined and the ability of the two clays displaying the highest adsorption capacities [Fe(3+)-saturated Wyoming montmorillonite, (Fe-SW) and hexadecyltrimethylammonium-saturated Arizona montmorillonite (HDTMA-SA)] to act as carriers for slow release of hexazinone and to reduce herbicide leaching losses was evaluated. Hexazinone formulations based on Fe-SW and HDTMA-SA displayed slow release properties in water and soil/water suspensions, reduced herbicide leaching in soil columns, and maintained herbicidal activity, as compared with the currently available commercial hexazinone formulation (wettable powder). Loosely bound hexazinone-HDTMASA formulations, which led to the slowest breakthrough of hexazinone in soil columns along with the greatest amounts of herbicide released from the clay particles, displayed the most interesting characteristics for their use as slow release formulations and to prevent ground water contamination.     

Biochar concomitantly increases simazine sorption in sandy loam soil and lowers its dissipation

Biochar application has been receiving much attention as pesticide pollution mitigator because it reduces harmful chemicals. However, direct comparisons between the effect of biochar and straw on the simazine fate in soils remain poorly understood. We explored the impact of biochars and straw on the simazine behavior in a soil using a ¹⁴C labeling approach. Biochar was produced by the thermal treatment of wheat straw at four contrasting temperatures (250, 350, 450 and 550°C) and was incorporated into a sandy loam soil. The sorption of simazine in the biochar soil from 83.9% to 87.5% was significantly higher than 43.0% in the unamended soil and 35.7% in the soil amended with unprocessed straw, thus resulting in low samizine leaching from 21.8% to 42.6% in the biochar soil. However, biochar application suppressed the simazine decomposition, which is contrast in the straw soil. Furthermore, the biogeochemical behavior of simazine varied with the pyrolysis temperature. These results indicate biochar application can significantly increase simazine adsorption and reduce leaching, which is benefit to the environmental pollution. In conclusion, the simazine behaviors in the soil are strongly influenced by the biochar properties. In comparison to straw, biochar has potential to mitigate simazine pollution.     

Development of an analytical scheme for simazine and 2,4-D in soil and water runoff from ornamental plant nursery plots

The transport and fate of pesticides applied to ornamental plant nursery crops are not well documented. Methodology for analysis of soil and water runoff samples concomitantly containing the herbicides simazine (1-chloro-4,6-bis(ethylamino)-s-triazine) and 2,4-D ((2,4-dichlorophenoxy)acetic acid) was developed in this research to investigate the potential for runoff and leaching from ornamental nursery plots. Solid-phase extraction was used prior to analysis by gas chromatography and liquid chromatography. Chromatographic results were compared with determination by enzyme-linked immunoassay analysis. The significant analytical contributions of this research include (1) the development of a scheme using chromatographic mode sequencing for the fractionation of simazine and 2,4-D, (2) optimization of the homogeneous derivatization of 2,4-D using the methylating agent boron trifluoride in methanol as an alternative to in situ generation of diazomethane, and (3) the practical application of these techniques to field samples.     

Comparative sorption and leaching study of the herbicides fluometuron and 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid (MCPA) in a soil amended with biochars and other sorbents

Biochar, the solid residual remaining after the thermochemical transformation of biomass for carbon sequestration, has been proposed to be used as a soil amendment, because of its agronomic benefits. The effect of amending soil with six biochars made from different feedstocks on the sorption and leaching of fluometuron and 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid (MCPA) was compared to the effect of other sorbents: an activated carbon, a Ca-rich Arizona montmorillonite modified with hexadecyltrimethylammonium organic cation (SA-HDTMA), and an agricultural organic residue from olive oil production (OOW). Soil was amended at 2% (w/w), and studies were performed following a batch equilibration procedure. Sorption of both herbicides increased in all amended soils, but decreased in soil amended with a biochar produced from macadamia nut shells made with fast pyrolysis. Lower leaching of the herbicides was observed in the soils amended with the biochars with higher surface areas BC5 and BC6 and the organoclay (OCl). Despite the increase in herbicide sorption in soils amended with two hardwood biochars (BC1 and BC3) and OOW, leaching of fluometuron and MCPA was enhanced with the addition of these amendments as compared to the unamended soil. The increased leaching is due to some amendments' soluble organic compounds, which compete or associate with herbicide molecules, enhancing their soil mobility. Thus, the results indicate that not all biochar amendments will increase sorption and decrease leaching of fluometuron and MCPA. Furthermore, the amount and composition of the organic carbon (OC) content of the amendment, especially the soluble part (DOC), can play an important role in the sorption and leaching of these herbicides.     

2，4-二氯苯氧基乙酸在土壤中的吸附淋溶特性

农药在土壤中的吸附和淋溶特性是评价其环境行为的重要指标,特别是决定了其在土壤中的迁移性。本文分别利用振荡平衡法和柱淋溶法研究了2,4-二氯苯氧基乙酸（2,4-D）在不同土壤中的吸附和淋溶特性及其影响因素。结果表明,2,4-D在3种供试土壤上的吸附特性能较好地用线性吸附等温线拟合,吸附常数心在0．95-1．54L·kg^-1之间,很难被土壤吸附。影响2,4-D在土壤中吸附的因素主要是土壤pH值,其次是有机质含量。土壤pH值增高,离子态的2,4-D量增加,吸附减弱;2,4-D在土壤中具有较强的淋溶性,影响其淋溶性能的主要因素是土壤pH值,pH值越高,淋溶性能越强。     

Influence of soil moisture on sorption and degradation of hexazinone and simazine in soil.

Sorption and degradation rates of hexazinone and simazine on soil were determined in a sandy loam soil incubated, during 44 days, at 25 degrees C with moisture contents ranging from 4% to 18%. Herbicide levels in soil solution were also measured, after extraction of this solution by a centrifugation method. All experiments were conducted with treated soil in plastic columns, and the results showed that this method is suitable for the simultaneous study of pesticide sorption and degradation in soil at different environmental conditions. In general, sorption of both herbicides was higher for aged herbicide residues compared to recently applied herbicides, and soil subjected to drying and rewetting cycles had the highest sorption values. K(f) values ranged from 0.5 to 1.2 for simazine and from 0.2 to 0.4 for hexazinone. Degradation rates increased with soil moisture content for both herbicides, and drying-rewetting of soil yielded degradation rates slower than that obtained at 10% soil moisture content. Hexazinone concentration in soil solution decreased with incubation time faster than simazine.     

Sorption of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol in model humic acid-clay systems

Humic acids and clays are important soil components that influence the sorption and desorption of organic contaminants; however, it is unclear how humic acids influence the sorption of organic contaminants onto clays and their subsequent desorption. Sorption and desorption of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (2,4,6-TCP) by and from humic acid-modified K(+)- and Ca(2+)-montmorillonite and -illite were compared with unmodified clays using batch equilibration methods. Commercial humic acid and the humic acid extracted from forest soil were employed in this experiment. The adsorbed amount of 2,4,6-TCP by commercial humic acid was almost twice as large as that adsorbed by the extracted soil humic acid. More 2,4,6-TCP was sorbed onto K(+)- and Ca(2+)-illite than onto K(+)- and Ca(2+)-montmorillonite. K(+) clays were more effective in adsorbing 2,4,6-TCP than Ca(2+) clays. Sorption of 2,4,6-TCP on humic acid-modified Ca(2+)- and K(+)-montmorillonite and -illite increased as compared with unmodified clays. The sorption nonlinearity of 2,4,6-TCP on humic acid-modified Ca(2+)- and K(+)-illite increased remarkably as compared with the unmodified clays. The sorption nonlinearity of 2,4,6-TCP on humic acid-modified Ca(2+)- and K(+)-montmorillonite increased slightly in contrast to unmodified montmorillonites. By comparing sorption and desorption results, we observed hysteresis for all sorbents including humic acids, clays, and humic acid-modified clays. Sorption nonlinearity and hysteresis were dependent on the structure of humic acids. Higher aromaticity of humic acids resulted in greater sorption nonlinearity and desorption hysteresis. In addition, sorption capacity (K(f)') was positively correlated with the humic acid content of the sorbents. These results show that modification of humic acids on clays can not only increase the adsorption ability of clays but also affect the sorption nonlinearity of 2,4,6-TCP, and the desorption hysteresis was probably due to the structural characteristics of humic acids.     

Bioavailability of the herbicide 2,4-D formulated with organoclays

Research on organoclays as sorbents of pesticides has shown the usefulness of these materials as pesticide supports to prolong the efficacy of soil-applied pesticides and to reduce the large transport losses that usually affect pesticides applied in an immediately available form. Nevertheless, little information exists on the availability of organoclay-formulated pesticides for bacterial degradation. In this work, laboratory experiments were conducted to determine the adsorption-desorption behavior of two hexadecyltrimethylammonium-treated Arizona montmorillonites (SA-HDTMA₅₀ and SA-HDTMA₁₀₀) for the herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), and to evaluate the ability of these organoclays to slow the release of the herbicide and to reduce herbicide leaching losses as compared to the free (technical) compound. The kinetics of mineralization of free and formulated 2,4-D by adapted bacteria was also determined. Organoclay-based formulations of 2,4-D displayed slow release properties in water and reduced herbicide leaching through soil columns, while maintained a herbicidal efficacy similar to that of the free (technical) 2,4-D. The total amount of ¹⁴C-2,4-D mineralized at the end of the biodegradation experiment (t=130 h) ranged between 30% and 46% of the formulated herbicide, which represented 53-81% of the amount of free 2,4-D mineralized in the same conditions. The release, leaching, and mineralization patterns of the formulated herbicide were found to depend both on the affinity of the organoclay for the herbicide and on the degree of interaction promoted during the preparation of the herbicide-organoclay complex. This suggests the possibility to select diverse preparations to achieve the desired release, leaching and biodegradation behavior.     

Sorption of 2,4-D and other phenoxy herbicides to soil, organic matter, and minerals

Purpose

We review 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and other phenoxy herbicide sorption experiments.

Methods

A database with 469 soil–water distribution coefficients K _d (in liters per kilogram) was compiled: 271 coefficients are for the phenoxy herbicide 2,4-D, 9 for 4-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)butyric acid, 18 for 2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)propanoic acid, 109 for 2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid, 5 for 4-(4-chloro-2-methylphenoxy)butanoic acid, and 57 for 2-(4-chloro-2-methylphenoxy)propanoic acid. The following parameters characterizing the soils, solutions, or experimental procedures used in the studies were also compiled if available: solution CaCl₂ concentration, pH, pre-equilibration time, temperature, soil organic carbon content (f _oc), percent sand, silt and clay, oxalate extractable aluminum, oxalate extractable iron (Oxalate Fe), dithionite–citrate–bicarbonate extractable aluminum, dithionite–citrate–bicarbonate extractable iron (DCB Fe), point of zero negative charge, anion exchange capacity, cation exchange capacity, soil type, soil horizon or depth of sampling, and geographic location. K _d data were also compiled characterizing phenoxy herbicide sorption to the following well-defined sorbent materials: quartz, calcite, α-alumina, kaolinite, ferrihydrite, goethite, lepidocrocite, soil humic acid, Fluka humic acid, and Pahokee peat.

Results

The data review suggests that sorption of 2,4-D can be rationalized based on the soil parameters pH, f _oc, Oxalate Fe, and DCB Fe in combination with sorption coefficients measured independently for humic acids and ferrihydrite, and goethite.

Conclusions

Soil organic matter and iron oxides appear to be the most relevant sorbents for phenoxy herbicides. Unfortunately, few authors report Oxalate Fe and DCB Fe data.     

Effects of soil-cation composition on reactions of four herbicides in a candler fine sand

Sorption, persistence and transport of herbicides in soils depend on the relative saturation of soils with cations from various soil amendments. Current research was conducted to study the effect of preequilibration of a Candler fine sand (Hyperthermic uncoated typic Quartzipsamments; 0–30 cm depth) with AlCl₃, CaCl₂, CuCl₂, FeCl₃, or KCl salt solutions on sorption in bromacil, simazine, norflurazon, and diuron herbicides commonly used in Florida citrus groves. Preequilibration of the soil with either FeCl₃, or AlCl₃ significantly decreased the sorption and therefore increased internal leaching potential, of all four herbicides as compared to their sorption in untreated soil. This decrease in sorption was much greater for bromacil and simazine (24 to 35%) than for norflurazon and diuron (7 to 8%). The desorption of bromacil and diuron in 1M NH₄OAc was also significantly lower in soils preequilibrated with FeCl₃ or AlCl₃ than the untreated soil. However, the reverse was true in the case of simazine and norflurazon. Preequilibration of the soil with CuCl₂, KCl, and CaCl₂ resulted in a significant decrease in sorption of norflurazon, diuron, and simazine but did not affect bromacil sorption. Accordingly, the species of adsorbed cation had varying effects on the sorption/desorption of each of the herbicides and varied their leaching potential.     

Interactions of simazine, metsulfuron-methyl, and tetracycline with biochars and soil as a function of molecular structure

Purpose

Biochars are increasingly recognized as effective, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly sorbents for abating organic contaminants. In this study, the sorption and competitive sorption characteristics of simazine (SZ), metsulfuron-methyl (ME), and tetracycline (TC) to corn straw biochars and soil were examined to understand the interactions of herbicides and antibiotics with biochars and the potential role of biochars as engineered sorbents.

Materials and methods

Biochars were obtained by pyrolyzing corn straw at 400, 500, and 600 °C for 6 h under oxygen-limited conditions and were characterized via elemental analysis, N₂-BET surface area determination, ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Soil was collected from North Tanggu Farm in Tianjin, and its organic carbon, cation exchange capacity, and particle size distribution were analyzed. The batch sorption experiments were performed to obtain the sorption isotherms of SZ, ME, and TC to biochars and soil.

Results and discussion

The biochars that were pyrolyzed at higher temperatures had higher sorption affinities for SZ, ME, and TC, which may be due to the enhancement of hydrophobic interactions, charge transfer (π–π*) interactions, and pore-filling mechanism. The sorption affinities for these compounds to all biochars decreased in the order SZ?>?TC?>?ME, indicating that the neutral molecule with a stronger hydrophobicity is more easily adsorbed by biochars. For soil, the decrease of the sorption affinities followed the order TC?>?SZ?>?ME due to the high sorption affinity of TC with clays in the soil. Moreover, the sorption affinities of TC by biochars were lower than by soil, indicating that corn straw biochars may be not an ideal sorbent for the immobilization of TC. Biochars were much more effective in sorbing SZ and ME than soil, indicating that corn straw biochars can potentially prevent transport of the herbicides to surface and ground water. Nevertheless, the presence of TC significantly hinders biochar adsorption of SZ and ME, implying that the coexisting contaminants should be considered when developing biochars as engineered sorbents.

Conclusions

The observations in this study demonstrated that the sorption of organic contaminants by biochars is dependent on the properties of the biochars and the molecular structures of the contaminants. Corn straw biochars effectively retain SZ and ME and hinder their transportation to surface and ground water; however, the coexisting contaminants should be considered. Our results will be helpful for designing biochars as engineered sorbents for environmental applications.     

Sorptive interactions of pesticides in soils treated with modified humic acids

Different structural changes in peat humic acid (HA) were induced through treatments leading to chemical derivatization and/or the removal of functional groups. Eleven humic products were obtained after acetylation, amidation, ammonia fixation, methylation, nitration, oximation, sulphonation, selective degradations and ‘fixation’ of stearic acid. The sorption of 12 pesticides (alachlor, atrazine, carbofuran, 2,4-D, 2,4-DB, methyl parathion, metoxuron, monouron, prometryne, propanil, fenoprop and chloranil) on the above products was determined by ultraviolet derivatographic spectroscopy. In addition, pesticide sorption was evaluated on samples from neutral and calcic soils treated with the corresponding potassium humates. The most intense interactions occurred in samples from the neutral plot, whereas the greatest effect of the humic matter in enhancing pesticide sorption was found with the calcic soil. As expected, the sorption patterns in HA-pesticide systems were poorly correlated with those in soil-HA-pesticide systems. In the former case, the sorption performance was influenced mainly by hydrophobic interactions, whereas in the latter it depended on the participation of multiple parameters suggesting that the molecular volume and the van der Waals energy of the pesticide molecule play a chief role. The HA characteristics most frequently correlated with pesticide sorption were those connected with the aromatic/aliphatic ratio and the particle size. In the calcic-soil-HA-pesticide systems, the base saturation of the exchange complex correlated negatively with pesticide sorption.     

Interaction of naphthalene derivatives with soil: an experimental and theoretical case study

This study provides insight into the relevance of the chemical functional groups of soil organic matter (aromatic, paraffinic, O‐alkyl, carboxyl and carbonyl carbon), as determined by CPMAS ¹³C NMR, on adsorption processes. Batch adsorption experiments with eight naphthalene derivatives were conducted with soils from a long‐term field experiment and model sorbents. Although the adsorption of some derivatives was mainly affected by the paraffinic organic carbon content in soil, the relation between the C‐distribution and adsorption was complex. This casts doubt on the use of such NMR data to estimate sorption behaviour. Additionally, sorption experiments were performed with six model sorbents representing typical soil components. Considerable adsorption of naphthalene derivatives was observed for montmorillonite and lignin; the smallest values were for kaolinite and cellulose. A quantum chemical approach was used to calculate a local polarity parameter as a molecular property of the naphthalene derivatives. This parameter was correlated with the logarithm of the adsorption coefficients, logK_d. Here, clear trends were observed for three of the model sorbents (kaolinite, montmorillonite and lignin).     

Use of rice straw biochar simultaneously as the sustained release carrier of herbicides and soil amendment for their reduced leaching

The sustained release and reduced leaching of herbicides is expected for enhancing their efficacy and minimizing their pollution. For this purpose, the rice straw biochar made at a relatively low temperature (350 °C) (RS350) was used simultaneously as the carrier for incorporating herbicides besides as the soil amendment. In this way, the sustained release of herbicides acetochlor and 2,4-D was obtained in the release experiments, due to the high and reversible sorption by RS350 biochar. Besides, the RS350 biochar significantly reduced the leached amount of herbicides by 25.4%-40.7% for acetochlor, and by 30.2%-45.5% for 2,4-D, depending on the depth (50 or 100 mm) of biochar-amended soil horizon. The high retention of both herbicides in the biochar-amended topsoil makes it possible to extend their efficacy. The results suggest a potential way of using low temperature biochars to reduce the leaching of herbicides without impacting their efficacy.     

Sorption-desorption of imidacloprid and its metabolites in soil and vadose zone materials

Sorption-desorption is one of the most important processes affecting the leaching of pesticides through soil because it controls the amount of pesticide available for transport. Subsurface soil properties can significantly affect pesticide transport and the potential for groundwater contamination. This research characterized the sorption-desorption of imidacloprid (1-[(6-chloro-3-pyridinyl)-methyl]-N-nitro-2-imidazolidinimine) and three of its metabolites, 1-[(6-chloro-3-pyridinyl)methyl]-2-imidazolidinone (imidacloprid-urea), 1-[(6-chloro-3-pyridinyl)methyl]-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazol-2-amine (imidacloprid-guanidine), and 1-[(6-chloro-3-pyridinyl)methyl]-1H-imidazol-2-amine (imidacloprid-guanidine-olefin), as a function of changing soil properties with depth in two profiles extending from the surface to a depth of 1.8 or 8 m. Sorption of each compound was highly variable and hysteretic in all cases. Normalizing the sorption coefficients (K(f)) to the organic carbon or the clay content of the soil did not reduce the variability in sorption coefficients for any compound. These results illustrate the importance of evaluation of the sorption data used to predict potential mobility. Understanding the variability of soil properties and processes as a function of depth is necessary for accurate prediction of pesticide dissipation.     

Sorption of poly(ethylene oxide) to soil: Role of soil mineral composition

Abstract

Poly(ethylene oxide) impacts on soil physical properties are thought to be a function of its adsorption by the soil material. The objective of the present paper is to evaluate the importance of microchemical surface composition of soil colloids on PEO adsorption. The microchemical surface composition of soil colloids was characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with energy‐dispersive x‐ray analysis (EDAX). Results obtained from batch adsorption tests indicate that a correlation between the atomic ratio of Si:(Al+Fe) on soil colloids surface and PEO sorption capacity exist, where those soil colloids with larger value of Si:(Al+Fe) ratio are able to sorb PEO more efficiently. This correlation allows us to predict that the PEO sorption capacity for soil colloids decrease with progressively increasing degrees of soil weathering.