The degradation of simazine, linuron and propyzamide in different soils

Simazine, linuron and propyzamide were incubated in 18 different soils at 25°C and field capacity soil moisture content. The degradation of each herbicide followed first-order kinetics. The half-life of simazine varied from 20 to 44 days, that of linuron from 22 to 86 days and that of propyzamide from 10 to 32 days. The rate of linuron degradation was highly significantly correlated with soil organic matter content, clay content, soil respiration and the extent of herbicide adsorption by the soil. The rate of simazine degradation was significantly and negatively correlated with soil pH, but the rate of propyzamide degradation was not related with any of the soil factors examined.     

Evaluation of a simulation model for prediction of herbicide movement and persistence in soil

The movement and persistence of residues of propyzamide, linuron, isoxaben and R-40244 were measured in a sandy loam soil in field experiments prepared in spring and autumn. None of the herbicides moved to depths greater than 12 cm in the soil during the winter period, following application in autumn, and none moved more than 6 cm in the soil, following application in spring. The general order of persistence of total soil residues was isoxaben > linuron = R-40244 > propyzamide. Appropriate constants to describe the moisture and temperature dependence of degradation were derived from laboratory incubation experiments and used with measurements of the strengths of adsorption of the different herbicides by the soil, in a computer model of herbicide movement. The model, in general, gave good predictions of total soil residues, but overestimated herbicide movement, particularly in winter. Measurements of herbicide desorption from the soil at intervals, during a laboratory incubation experiment, demonstrated an apparent increase in the strength of adsorption with time. When appropriate allowance was made for these changes in adsorption in the computer model, improved predictions of the vertical distribution of the herbicide residues were obtained.     

Simulation of herbicide persistence in soil .II. Simazine and linuron in long-term experiments

The rates of degradation of simazine and linuron were measured in soil from plots not treated previously with these herbicides. Degradation of both compounds followed first-order kinetics and soil temperature and soil moisture content had a marked effect on the rate of loss. With linuron, half-lives increased from 36 to 106 days with a reduction in temperature from 30° to 5°C at 4% soil moisture, and from 29 to 83 days at 12% soil moisture. Similar temperature changes increased the half-life of simazine from 29 to 209 days and from 16 to 125 days at soil moisture contents of 4 and 12% respectively. A computer program which has been developed for simulation of herbicide persistence was used in conjunction with the laboratory data and the relevant meteorological records for the years 1964 to 1968 in order to test the model against previously published field persistence data for the two herbicides. The results with simazine showed a close correspondence between observed and predicted residue levels but those for linuron, particularly in uncropped plots, were satisfactory for limited periods only.     

Simulation of the persistence of eight soil-applied herhicides

The effects of soil temperature and soil moisture content on the rates of degradation of simazine, atrazine, propyzamide, linuron, metamitron, trifluralin, metribuzin und chlorthaldimethyl were measured in a sandy loam soil under controlled laboratory conditions, Atrazine degradation was the least dependent on soil moisture and metamitron degradation the most. Linuron degradation was the least affected by temperature and degradation of chlorthal-dimethyl was the most temperature-dependent. In the field, trifluralin, linuron and chlorthal-dimethyl were the most persistent herbicides with over 40% of the amounts applied remaining 5 months after application in spring, Simazine and propyzamide were intermediate with residues between 20 and 30% of the initial dose. Atrazine, metamitron and metribuzin were the least persistent with residues generally less than 20% of the amounts present initially. Weather records for the periods of the field experiments were used in conjunction with the appropriate constants derived from the laboratory data in a computer program to simulate persistence in the field. The model predicted with reasonable accuracy the relative order of persistence of the different herbicides, with the exception of metribuzin. With simazine, atrazine, propyzamide and in particular, metribuzin, there was a tendency to underestimate rates of loss. It is suggested that herbicide mobility in the soil was responsible for the poor agreement in some experiments. ASimulation de la persis tanee de huit herbicides appliqués sur le sol Les effets de la lempérature du sol et de sa teneur en eau sur les laux de dégradation ont étéétudiés pour les herbicides suivants:simazine, atrazinc, propyzamide, linuron, métamitrone, trifluraline, métribuzine et chlorthal-diméthyle. Ces taux de dégradation ont été mesurés dans un sol limono-sableux, dans des conditions contrôlés au laboratoire. La dépendance de la dégradation vis-á-vis de l'humidité du sol a été minimale pour I'atrazine et maximale pour la métamitrone. La dégradation du linuron a été Ia moins affectée par la température et celle du chlorthal-diméthyle la plus affectée. Au champ, la trifluraline, le linuron et le chlorthal-diméthyle ont été les herbicides les plus persistants, plus de 40% des quantités appliquées au printemps persistant encore 5 mois après. La simazine et le propyzamide se sont comportés de f açon intermédiaire, avec des résidus situés entre 20 et 30% de la dose initiale. L'atrazine, la métamitrone et la métribuzine ont été les moins persistants avec des résidus généralement inférieurs à 20% de la quantité initialement présente. L'enregistrement des conditions climatiques pendant la période des expériences au champ a été utilisé, avec les constantes appropriées provenant des résultats au laboratoire, dans le programme d'un ordinateur pour simuler la persistance au champ, Le modéle obtenu a permis de prévoir avec une précision raisonnable I'ordre relatif des pcrsistances des différents herbicides, à I'exception de la métribuzine. II s'est manifesté une tendance à la sous-estimation des taux de pertes pour la simazine, Tatrazine, le propyzamide et en particulier pour la métribuzine, II est suggéré que la mobilité des herbicides dans le sol a été responsable de la médiocre concordance observée dans quelques expériences. Simulation der Persistenz von acht Bodenherbiziden Es wurde die Wirkung der Bodentemperatur und der Bodenfeuchtigkeit aut die Abbaurate folgender Herbizide unter kontrollierten Laborbedingungen festgestellt: Simazin, Atrazin, Propyzamid, Linuron, Metamitron, Trifluralin, Metribuzin und Chlorthal-dimethyl. Der Abbau von Atrazin war am wenigsten, der Abbau von Metamitron am stärksten von der Bodenfeuchtigkeit abhängig. Der Abbau von Linuron wurde am geringsten durch die Temperatur beeinflusst, während der Abbau von Chlorthal-dimethyl am stärksten temperaturabhängig war. Unter Feldbedingungen wurden Trifluralin. Linuron und Chlorthal-dimethyl am langsamsten abgebaut - von der im Frühjahr ausgehrachten Menge waren nach fünf Monaten noch 40% vorhanden. Simazin und Propyzamid nahmen mit 20 und 40% eine miltlere Stellung ein. Alrazin, Metamitron und Metribuzin waren am wenigsten persistent: bei ihnen waren nur noch weniger als 20% des Anfangsgehalts festzustellen. Mit Hilfe der Klimadaten für die entsprechenden Perioden der Feldversuche und den entsprechenden Konstanten aus den Laborversuchen wurde mit einem Computerprogramm die Herbizidpersistent für Feldbedingungen simuliert. Mit dem Modell konnte die relative Rangfolge der Herbizidpersistenz mit hinreichender Genauigkeit vorhergesagt werden; Metribuzin machte jedoch eine Ausnahme. Für Simazin, Atrazin, Propyzamid und besonders für Metribuzin wurden die Abbsuraten etwas unterschätzt. Es wird angenommen, dass die mangelnde Übereinstimmung bei einigcn Versuchen auf den Transport der Herbizide im Boden zurückzuführen ist.     

THE EFFECT OF REPEATED FIELD APPLICATIONS OF FOUR HERBICIDES ON THE EVOLUTION OF CARBON DIOXIDE AND MINERALIZATION OF NITROGEN IN SOIL

The effect of repeated annual applications over 7-8 years of MCPA, triallate, simazine and linuron to field plots on the evolution of CO₂ and mineralization of nitrogen in soil samples incubated in the laboratory is described. The plots were either cropped and treated with standard doses, or uncropped and sprayed with doses 3-4 times above the level used in agricultural practice. While the applications of MCPA and tri-allate did not exert any inhibitory effects in soils from the uncropped plots those of simazine and linuron led to a lowering in CO₂ output in several instances and in mineral N on infrequent occasions. These effects are assumed to be the result of a difference in the content of easily-degradable organic matter between the treated plots and the controls. A direct anti-microbial action of the two herbicides is not very probable because in laboratory experiments with simazine up to 512 ppm the output of CO₂ and the mineralization of N was not affected while linuron at 500 ppm gave only a minor depression in CO₂ evolution. Effects on soil fertility are unknown but seem unlikely in view of the small extent and infrequency of the reductions observed. On the cropped plots the MCPA and tri-allate treatment showed no effects. With linuron and simazine a significant lowering in respiration and mineralization of N occurred on single occasions only, during a 5-year period.     

Effect of pH on the degradation of atrazine,dichlorprop, linuron and propyzamide in soil

The rates of disappearance of atrazine, dichlorprop, linuron and propyzamide were measured in two soils incubated at 22°C and 80% water holding capacity. Observations were made at four pH levels in each soil. Atrazine degradation was relatively insensitive to pH; it increased slightly with increasing pH in one soil and decreased in the other. The other compounds all degraded more slowly at low pH in both soils although dichlorprop had essentially disappeared in 14 days under all conditions, so that the effect of pH is not unlikely to be of practical interest. The ratios of the degradation rates of atrazine, linuron, and propyzamide varied with the soil and the pH.     

Transport to ground‐water of six commonly used herbicides: a prediction for two Italian scenarios

In Italy suitable standard scenarios for pesticide risk assessment based on computer models are lacking. In this paper we examine the use of the VARLEACH model to assess the potential danger of ground‐water pollution by six herbicides (alachlor, atrazine, cyanazine, linuron, simazine and terbuthylazine) which are used to protect irrigated (maize) and non‐irrigated (sorghum) crops in the Po Plain, one of the most important agricultural lands in Italy. Two extreme scenarios are taken: real worst case (sandy soil) and real best case (clay loam soil). The simulation suggests that cyanazine, linuron and terbuthylazine can be safely used in clay loam soil in both non‐irrigated and irrigated crops, while alachlor, atrazine and simazine can be safely used only in non‐irrigated crops. On the other hand, the application of all the herbicides tested should be avoided in sandy soil, with the exception of linuron in non‐irrigated crops. © 2000 Society of Chemical Industry     

Specific microbial responses to herbicides*

Examples from the literature and from the authors’own laboratory demonstrate that herbicides can exert adverse effects on the soil micro-flora, depending on concentration, though often at higher rates than the herbicidal dose. Examples refer to changes in microbial growth (asulam, linuron, paraquat) and equilibrium (metoxuron), respiration and nitrification in samples from field experiments (linuron, simazine) and laboratory experiments (bentazone, glyphosate, barban, etc.), enzyme activities (urease, phosphatase; barban, chlorpropham, linuron) and the decay of sprayed vegetation (glyphosate, paraquat).     

Evidence for the Accelerated Degradation of Isoproturon in Soils

The herbicide isoproturon was degraded rapidly in a sandy loam soil under laboratory conditions (incubation temperature, 15°C; soil moisture potential, -33 kPa). Degradation was inhibited following treatment of the soil with the antibiotic chloramphenicol, but unaffected by treatment with cycloheximide, thus indicating an involvement of soil bacteria. Rapid degradation was not observed with other phenylurea herbicides, such as diuron, linuron, monuron or metoxuron incubated in the same soil under the same experimental conditions. Three successive applications of isoproturon to ten soils differing in their physicochemical properties and previous cropping history induced rapid degradation of the herbicide in most of them under laboratory conditions. There were, however, no apparent differences in ease of induction of rapid degradation between soils which had been treated with isoproturon for the last five years in the field and those with no pre-treatment history. A mixed bacterial culture able to degrade isoproturon in liquid culture was isolated from a soil in which the herbicide degraded rapidly.     

Further studies of the enhanced biodegradation of some soil-applied herbicides

In field experiments to investigate the effect of repeated application of eight herbicides on their persistence in the soil, the rates of loss of metribuzin, metolachlor and isoproturon were shown to be unaffected by up to three previous doses of the same herbicide. With linuron, there was a small but significant enhancement of biodegradation by two or more previous applications. The persistence of monolinuron, propyzamide and metamitron was shorter in plots that had been treated once, twice or three times previously than in plots treated for the first time, but the effects were often small. In the case of napropamide, rates of loss were considerably increased by a single previous dose. In laboratory experiments with soil from the field plots, there was again no evidence of enhanced biodegradation of metribuzin, metolachlor or isoproturon. However, the rate of linuron degradation was enhanced by a single application. This effect was most marked after 12 weeks, but had disappeared by 57 weeks after initial treatment of the soil in the field. Considerable enhancement of monolinuron, propyzamide and metamitron degradation rates was also observed. The effects were again most pronounced after 12 weeks; however, with these compounds, they were still apparent more than 1 year later. Enhancement of napropamide biodegradation was most stable when assessed in laboratory incubations; the effects from a single pretreatment were still apparent more than 12 months later. Etudes complementaires de la degradation accélerée de certains herbicides appliques au sol Dans des essais de plein champ conduits pour etudier 1'influence d'applications répetées de 8 herbicides sur leur persistance dans le sol, les taux de perte de métribuzine, métolachlor et isoproturon n'ont pas été affectés jusqu'à 3 applications précédentes du même herbicide. Avec le linuron, il y a eu une faible mais significative augmentation de la dégradation aprés 2 ou 3 applications. La persistance du monolinuron, de la propyzamide et de la métamitrone éiait plus courte dans les parcelles déjà traitées une, deux ou trois fois que dans celles traitées pour la premiére fois, mais les effets étaient souvent faibles. Avec la napropromide, les taux ont été considérablement accrus aprés une seule application. Dans des essais de laboratoire avec du sol venant des parcelles de plein champ, il n'y a pas eu de nouveau d'accélération de la biodégradation pour la métribuzine, le métolachlor ou 1'isoproturon. Cependant, la dégradation du linuron a été renforcée par une seule application. Cet effet a été plus fort qu'aprés 12 semaines, mais a disparu 57 semaines aprés le traitement du sol au champ. Un accroissement important de la dégradation du monolinuron, de la propyzamide et de la métamitrone a étéégalement observé Les effets étaient de nouveau maxima aprés 12 semaines; cependant avec ces produits, ils étaient encore apparent une année plus tard. L'accé1ération de la biodégradation de la napropromide était la plus stable dans les observations de laboratoire; les effets d'une seule application étaient encore apparents plus de 12 mois plus tard. Weitere Untersuchungen zum beschleunigten Abbau von Bodenherbiziden In Feldversuchen zur Persistenz von 8 Herbiziden bei wiederholter Ausbringung ging bei Metribuzin, Metolachlor und Isoproturon nach 3-maliger Ausbringung desselben Herbizids die Verlustrate nicht zurück. Bei Linuron war der mikrobielle Abbau nach 2 oder mehr Vorbehandlungen nur leicht, aber signifikant erhöht. Die Persistenz von Monolinuron, Propyzamid und Metamitron war bei l-, 2- oder 3-maliger Vorbehandlung geringer als bei erstmaliger Behandlung, doch waren die Wirkungen oft klein. Bei Napropamid erhöhte sich die Verlustrate bereits nach einer Vorbehandlung beträchtlich. Auch in Laborversuchen mit Böden aus den Freilandparzellen konnte bei Metribuzin, Metolachlor und Isoproturon kein verstärkter mikrobieller Abbau nachgewiesen werden. Bei Linuron dagegen erhöhte sich die Abbaurate schon nach einmaliger Applikation. Diese Wirkung war nach 12 Wochen am deutlichsten ausgeprägt, verschwand jedoch nach 57 Wochen nach dem Behandlungstermin. Eine erheblich größere Abbaurate wurde auch bei Monolinuron, Propyzamid und Metamitron beobachtet, am deutlichsten nach 12 Wochen, aber auch noch nach mehr als l Jahr. Bei Napropamid war die Verstärkung der Biodegradation im Labor am bestRaUndigsten; die Wirkungen einmaliger Vorbehandlungen bestanden noch nach mehr als 1 Jahr.     

The effect of age on the availability of linuron and simazine residues in soil

Residues of linuron and simazine were measured by both bioassay and gas-chromatographic methods in soil from field plots that had been treated either 20 weeks (both compounds). 41/2 years (linuron) or 51/2 years (simazine) previously. There were no significant differences between the results obtained with the two methods; therefore the relationship between extractable herbicide and that available to plants was independent of the age of the residue. Hence‘bound’residues, if they existed in these plots, had no phytocidal significance.     

Relations entre la vitesse de dégradation du propyzamide et les propriétés physicochimiques des sols

Relationship between rate of propyzamide degradation and physico-chemical properties Propyzamide was incubated in 29 different soils at a soil moisture content of 25%. The degradation of the herbicide followed first-order kinetics. The rate of propyzamide degradation was correlated with soil resistivity. Addition of mineral fertilizers inhibited propyzamide degradation.     

Effects of soil moisture content on the availability of soil-applied herbicides to plants

The phytotoxicities of atrazine, simazine, linuron, lenacil and aziprotryne were increased as the moisture content of the soil increased. Results from studies with ¹⁴C-labelled atrazine suggested that these differences could be related to differences in concentrations of herbicide accumulated by the plants. Total uptake of atrazine was directly proportional to water uptake, but a comparison of the amounts taken up with those supplied by mass-flow in the transpiration stream suggested that some exclusion factor was operative. It was concluded that herbicide transport within the soil-plant system was the main factor affecting phytotoxicity under the different soil moisture regimes. The significance of the results to herbicide behaviour under field conditions is discussed.     

Simulation of herbicide persistence in soil .I. Simazine and prometryne

The effects of soil temperature and soil moisture content on the rates of degradation of simazine and prometryne were measured under controlled conditions. The time for 50% disappearance of simazine in a sandy loam soil varied from 37 days at 25°C and 13 % soil moisture to 234 days at 15°C and 7% soil moisture. With prometryne, changes in soil moisture content had a greater effect on the rate of loss than similar changes with simazine. The time for 50% disappearance at 25°C was increased from 30 to 590 days with a reduction in soil moisture content from 14 to 5%. With both herbicides, the rate of degradation increased as the initial herbicide concentration decreased and the data suggest that a hyperbolic rate law may be more appropriate than simple first-order kinetics. Degradation curves for three separate field applications of the two herbicides were simulated using the laboratory data and the relevant meteorological records in a computer program. A close fit to the observed pattern of loss of incorporated prometryne was obtained, but prometryne surface-applied was lost rapidly during the first 30–40 days after application. This initial rapid loss could not be predicted by the program. With simazine, the patterns of loss of surface and incorporated treatments were similar, but the simulation model tended to overestimate residue levels. Possible reasons for the discrepancies are discussed.     

Detection of triazine and urea herbicide residues by various characteristics of oat seedlings in bioassays

Atrazine, simazine, diuron, and linuron applied to soil increased the percentage moisture of oat (Avena sativa L.) shoots in bioassays at the lowest dose tested of 0·25 ppm. Further increases occurred up to 2 ppm but at higher concentrations the percentage moisture decreased. At all doses of each herbicide, shoot dry weight was decreased. In oats grown on soil collected from a peach orchard which had received repeated annual applications of these herbicides, the percentage moisture of the oat shoots was higher than the control value whenever the oat dry weight was decreased and provided a method of residue detection as sensitive as dry weight measurements. Treatment of oats by soil application of the above herbicides in bioassays also caused increases in the electrical conductivity of an aqueous extract of the oat shoots per mg of dry weight and this characteristic was slightly more sensitive than dry weight in detecting herbicides in orchard soil. The conductivity of the extract per mg of water in the shoots, however, only increased as percentage moisture decreased. The weight of neutral water-soluble material in oat shoots decreased much more rapidly than dry weight in bioassays with standard herbicide concentrations. Determination of the weight of neutral water-soluble material in oat plants grown on orchard soil samples indicated the presence of herbicide residues in 50% of the cases in which residues were not detectable by dry weight. The weight of neutral material as a percentage of dry weight was almost as sensitive. Chemical analysis of soil in which oat plants had a decreased level of neutral water-soluble compounds indicated that this characteristic had a lower limit of detection for herbicide residues of approximately 0.10 ppm.     

Simulation of herbicide persistence in soil .III. Propyzamide in different soil types

The effects of soil temperature and soil moisture content on the rate of degradation of propyzamide in five soils were examined under controlled laboratory conditions. Half-lives in soils incubated at field capacity varied from 23 to 42 days at 25°C and from 63 to 112 days at 15°C. The variation in half-life at 25°C and 50% of field capacity was from 56 to 94 days. When the laboratory data were used in conjunction with the relevant meteorological records and soil properties in a computer simulation program, predicted degradation curves for propyzamide in four of the soils in micro-plots were in close agreement with those observed. Use of the program to predict residues of propyzamide in the fifth soil at crop maturity in a series of field experiments concerned with continuity of lettuce production gave values fairly close to those observed when appropriate corrections were made for initial recoveries.     

Residues of atrazine, simazine, linuron and diuron after repeated annual applications in a peach orchard

Annual applications of the herbicides atrazine, simazine, linuron and diuron at 45 kg/ha were made to the same plots for 9 consecutive years from 1963 to 1971 in a peach (Prunus persica (L.) Batsch.) orchard located on sandy loam soil near Harrow, Ontario. Soil samples from these plots were collected in late October for the last 3 years (1969–1971) and trees were cut down in December, 1969. Herbicide residues were determined by bioassays based on the fresh and dry weight of oats (Avena sativa L.) and in one year results were confirmed by chemical analysis. Significant accumulation of herbicides was not observed. The maximum residue levels measured in October over the 3 years of sampling were 7′3 kg/ha for diuron, 3–8 kg/ha for linuron, 1–6 kg/ha for simazine and 04 kg/ha for atrazine in the top 15 cm of the soil profile. Simazine and atrazine showed a rapid decrease in amount after treatment but diuron and linuron were degraded more slowly. Measurable residues of all herbicides were confined to the upper 15 cm of the soil profile and the majority of herbicide remained in the 0–5-cm soil layer. Oats were planted in the orchard plots from 1972 to 1974 to follow the disappearance of the herbicides. All herbicides caused highly significant yield decreases in 1972, atrazine causing the least (38%) and diuron the greatest (86%) reductions. Diuron reduced the yield of oats in 1973 and caused a highly significant decrease in the weight of young oat plants in 1974.     

THE ADSORPTION OF FOUR HERBICIDES BY DIFFERENT TYPES OF ORGANIC MATTER AND A BENTONITE CLAY*

Summary. A bioassay was used to study, adsorption of prometryne, simazine, linuron and pyrazon by fibrous peat, sphagnum moss, muck soil and bentonite as 1 % mixtures with quartz sand. Of these bentonite caused least reduction in bioactivity, and sphagnum moss reduced it only slightly more. Fibrous peat and muck soil were the most adsorptive. Prometryne, simazine and pyrazon were more highly adsorbed by fibrous peat than by muck soil, while for linuron the opposite occurred. Fibrous peat was approximately three, seven, thirteen and three times more adsorptive than bentonite for pyrazon, linuron, prometryne and simazine, respectively, while for muck soil the corresponding values were two, fourteen, seven and two. Studies with prometryne and five different soils indicated that percentage organic matter, cation-exchange capacity and specific surface area were all highly correlated with adsorption.     

Simazine biodegradation in soil: analysis of bacterial community structure by in situ hybridization

Pesticide and nitrate contamination of soil and groundwater from agriculture is an environmental and public health concern worldwide. Simazine, 6-chloro-N2,N4-diethyl-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine, is a triazine herbicide used in agriculture for selective weed control with several types of crops and it is frequently applied to soils receiving N-fertilizers. Degradation experiments were performed in the laboratory to assess whether the biodegradation of simazine in soil may be influenced by the presence of urea. Simazine degradation rates under different experimental conditions (presence/absence of urea, microbiologically active/sterilized soil) were assessed together with the formation, degradation and transformation of its main metabolites in soil. Simazine degradation was affected by the presence of urea, in terms both of a smaller half-life (t(1/2)) and of a higher amount of desethyl-simazine formed. The soil bacterial community was also studied. Microbial abundances were determined by epifluorescence direct counting. Moreover in situ hybridization with rRNA-targeted fluorescent oligonucleotide probes was used to analyze the bacterial community structure. Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) was used to detect specific groups of bacteria such as the alpha,beta,gamma-subdivisions of Proteobacteria, Gram-positive bacteria with a high G + C DNA content, Planctomycetes, Betaproteobacterial ammonia-oxidizing bacteria and nitrifying bacteria. The presence of the herbicide and/or urea affected the bacterial community structure, showing that FISH is a valuable tool for determining the response of bacterial populations to different environmental conditions.     

Evaluation of three pesticide leaching models with experimental data for alachlor, atrazine and metribuzin

The persistence and movement of residues of alachlor, alrazine and metribuzin were measured in a mini-lysimeter system in the field. This comprised a number of soil columns (11 cm diametert; 30 cm long), and permitted the vertical distribution of residues to be determined at. intervals alter application and the collection and analysis of leaehale water. Laboratory experiments were also performed to determine the degradation rates of the three herbicides and their strengths of adsorption by the test soil. The results showed an order of degradation rate of metribuzin> alachlor>atrazine and an order of adsorption of alacblor>atrazine>melribuzin. Movement of residues in the soil columns and concentrations in the leachate were inversely related to the strength of adsorption. Parameters derived from the laboratory data were used in conjunction with weather data for the period of the field experiment in three mathematical models of pesticide leaching: VARLEACH, LEACHP and PRZM2. In most instances, the models gave acceptable predictions of the distribution of residues in soil. This was particularly so for the less mobile compound alachlor. With the most mobile compound, metribuzin, residues were not well predicted at the later sampling dates. All three models gave accurate predictions of the volumes of drainage water, but none of them predicted the concentrations of herbicide in the leachate, presumably because they do not take account of preferential flow pathways of water and solute in the soil.