Effect of compost amendment on the atrazine degradation in soil column experiment

Abstract

Effect of conifer bark compost amendment on the fate of the herbicide atrazine in soil was examined in the undisturbed soil columns. Compost amendment affected significantly the rate of atrazine degradation in soil. Three months after atrazine application, the recovered amount of atrazine in compost amended soil represented 52 % of all analysed substances in comparison to 80 % in the control treatment. Deethylatrazine was the main metabolite in both treatments; however its share was significantly higher in the compost amended soil. In contrast, the share of hidroxyatrazine, was higher in the control soil. Differences in the atrazine transfer trough the soil profile were not found. The majority of atrazine and metabolites were analysed in the upper 15 cm soil layer, mobility to the lower layers (to the depth of 45 cm) was less than 3 % of total recovered herbicide in soils and leaching waters. Leaching of atrazine and metabolites was negligible (below 0.1 %)  and not significantly different between the treatments.