Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Paraquat: Determination, degradation, and mobility in soil

  • Published:
Water, Air, and Soil Pollution Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Paraquat, applied to a sandy loam soil at the field application rate (0.56 to 2.24 kg ha−1) was found to reside in the top 1 cm of the soil. The compound was adsorbed by soil fractions such as organic matter, non-expanding and expanding-lattice clays. The process of adsorption was not significantly affected by soil pH but was influenced by porosity, moisture content, residence time and adsorption capacity of the soil. The strong binding of paraquat to soil constituents reduced the mobility of the herbicide by leaching but the compound was displaced from binding sites by low concentrations of cations, such as NH4 +, K+, Na+, and Ca2+. The desorption process was dependent upon the adsorption capacity of the soil and the kind and concentration of desorbing cation. A rapid and sensitive procedure for quantitative recovery of low levels of paraquat in small soil samples (1 to 5 g) was developed. Paraquat was released from soil using a hot-plate and acid-digestion procedure and was recovered by employing a modification of the Imperial Chemical Industries' ion-exchange method. The herbicide was incubated under a variety of environmental conditions but was not found to be degraded chemically or microbiologically in soil during incubation periods as long as 16 months at 25°C.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Akhavein, A. A. and Linscott, D. L.: 1968, Residue Rev. 23, 97.

    Google Scholar 

  • Amling, H. J., Turner, J. K., and Taylor, T. D.: 1963, Proc. Southern Weed Conf. 16, 164.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bailey, W. G. and White, J. L.: 1970, Residue Rev. 32, 29.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bailey, W. G., White, J. L., and Rothberg, T.: 1968, Soil Sci. Soc. Am. Proc. 32, 222.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baldwin, B. C.: 1964, in ‘Report of Progress, October, 1964’, California Chemical Co., San Francisco, California.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baldwin, B. C., Bray, M. F., and Geoghegan, M. F.: 1966, Biochem. J. 101, 15.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blackburn, R. D. and Weldon, W.: 1965, Weeds 13, 147.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blanchar, R. W., Rehm, G., and Caldwell, A. C.: 1965, Soil Sci. Soc. Am. Proc. 29, 71.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bowman, B., Adams, R. S., and Fenton, S. W.: 1970, J. Agric. Fd. Chem. 18, 723.

    Google Scholar 

  • Broadbent, F. E. and Bradford, G. R.: 1952, Soil Sci. 74, 447.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brooker, M. P. and Edwards, R. W.: 1973, Freshwater Biol. 3, 157.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bruce, R. R. and Klute, A.: 1956, Soil Sci. Soc. Am. Proc. 20, 458.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burns, I. G., Hayes, M. H. B., and Stacey, M.: 1973a, Weed Res. 13, 79.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burns, I. G., Hayes, M. H. B., and Stacey, M.: 1973b, Pestic. Sci. 4, 201.

    Google Scholar 

  • Calderbank, A.: 1966, Residue Rev. 12, 14.

    Google Scholar 

  • Calderbank, A.: 1968, Advanc. Pest. Contra Res. 8, 127.

    Google Scholar 

  • Calderbank, A. and Tomlinson, T. E.: 1968, Oud. Agric. 7, 252.

    Google Scholar 

  • Calderbank, A. and Yuen, S. H.: 1965, Aalyst 90, 99.

    Google Scholar 

  • Camper, N. D., Moherek, E. A., and Huffman, J.: 1973, Weed Res. 13, 231.

    Google Scholar 

  • Damanakis, M.: 1970, Weed Res. 10, 77.

    Google Scholar 

  • Funderburk, H. H. Jr., Negi, N. S., and Lawrence, J. M.: 1966, Weeds 14, 240.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gardner, W. R. and Mayhugh, M. S.: 1958, Soil Sci. Soc. Am. Proc. 22, 197.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harris, C. L: 1966, Weeds 14, 6.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harris, R. F., Allen, G. N., Chesters, G. A. and Attol, A. S.: 1963, Soil Sci. Soc. Am. Proc. 27, 42.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harris, C. L., Woolson, E. A., and Hummer, B. E.: 1969, Weed Sci. 17, 27.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jackson, R. D.: 1963, Soil. Sci. Soc. Am. Proc. 27, 123.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jealott's Hill Research Station: 1972, ‘Determination of Residues in Soil; Spectrophotometric Method’, Bracknell Berkshire, England, ICI Plant Protection Limited.

    Google Scholar 

  • Koren, E., Foy, C. L., and Ashton, F. M.: 1969, Weed Sci. 17, 148.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuan, S. U.: 1973, J. Soil Sci. 24, 244.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moyer, J. R., Hance, R. J., and McKone, C. E.: 1972, Soil Biol. Biochem. 4, 307.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murphy, H. J., Goven, M., Swewll, W., and Woodridge, A.: 1967, N. East. Weed Control Conf. Proc. 21, 145.

    Google Scholar 

  • Namdeo, K. N.: 1972, Ind. J. Exp. Biol. 10, 133.

    Google Scholar 

  • Obien, S. R. and Green, R. E.: 1969, Weed Sci. 17, 509.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oddson, J. K., Letey, J., and Weeks, L. V.: 1970, Soil Sci. Soc. Am. Proc. 34, 4.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roeth, F. W., Lavy, T. L., and Burnside, O. C.: 1969, Weed Sci. 17, 202.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ross, D. J.: 1958, Nature (London), 181, 1142.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scott, H. D. and Lutz, J. F.: 1971, Soil Sci. Soc. Am. Proc. 35, 374.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sethunathan, N.: 1973, Soil Biol. Biochem. 5, 641.

    Google Scholar 

  • Soderquist, C. J. and Crosby, D. G.: 1972, Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 6, 363.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sommers, L. E. and Nelson, D. W.: 1972, Soil Sci. Soc. Am. Proc. 36, 902.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stecko, V. and Svenson, A.: 1974, Swed. Weed Conf. 15, G6.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tu, C. M. and Bollen, W. B.: 1968, Weed Res. 8, 38.

    Google Scholar 

  • Voorhies, W. B., Allmaras, R. R., and Larson, W. E.: 1966, Soil Sci. Soc. Am. Proc. 30, 163.

    Google Scholar 

  • Way, J. M., Newman, J. F., Moore, N. W., and Knaggs, F. W.: 1971, J. Appl. Ecol. 8, 509.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weber, J. B. and Best, J. A.: 1972, Proc. Southern Weed Sci. Soc. 25, 403.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weber, J. B., Perry, P. W., and Upchurch, R. P.: 1965, Soil Sci. Soc. Am. Proc. 29, 678.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weber, J. B. and Weed, S. B.: 1968, Soil Sci. Soc. Am. Proc. 32, 485.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weber, J. B., Weed, S. B., and Best, J. A.: 1969, J. Agric. Fd. Chem. 17, 1075.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zindahl, R. L., Freed, V. H., Montgomery, M. L., and Furtich, W. R.: 1970, Weed Res. 10, 18.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, N2L 3G1, Waterloo, Ontaria, Canada

    E. A. Smith & C. I. Mayfield

Authors
  1. E. A. Smith
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. C. I. Mayfield
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Smith, E.A., Mayfield, C.I. Paraquat: Determination, degradation, and mobility in soil. Water Air Soil Pollut 9, 439–452 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00213540

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00213540

Keywords

Search

Navigation