Atrazine is not readily mineralised in 24 temperate soils regardless of pre-exposure to triazine herbicides.
Mineralisation of atrazine in soil has been shown to depend on previous exposure of the herbicide. In this study, 24 Danish soils were collected and screened for potential to mineralise atrazine. Six soils were chosen, because they had never been exposed to atrazine, whereas 18 soils were chosen because of their history of application of atrazine or the related compound terbuthylazine. None of the 24 soils revealed a mineralisation potential of more than 4% of the added atrazine within a 60 day timeframe. In an atrazine adapted French soil, we found 60% mineralisation of atrazine in 30 days. Cattle manure was applied in order to boost the microbial activity, and a 2-3% increase in the atrazine mineralisation was found in some of the temperate soils, while in the highly adapted French soil it caused a 5% reduction.
Glaesner
Nadia
N
Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), Department of Geochemistry, Øster Voldgade 10, DK-1350 Copenhagen K, Denmark.
Baelum
Jacob
J
Strobel
Bjarne W
BW
Jacobsen
Carsten S
CS
D001280:Atrazine / Q000378:metabolism*; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D006540:Herbicides / Q000378:metabolism*; D008372:Manure; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry*; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000737:chemistry*; D003313:Zea mays / Q000378:metabolism
D006540:Herbicides; D008372:Manure; D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D001280:Atrazine