LEACHING INDEXES OF SOME MAJOR TRIAZINE METABOLITES

Pesticide metabolites which maintain the phytotoxic activity of the pa rent compounds or some kind of biological activity may represent a ris k to human health if present in drinking water above certain concentra tions. Using laboratory methods, the soil persistence (DT50) and mobil ity (Koc) of desethylatrazine, deisopropylatrazine, desethylterbuthyla zine, 3-(4- ylamino)-1-methyl-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-(1H,3H)-dione and of their parent compounds atrazine, terbutylazine, hexazinone were determ ined. Then, their tendency to leach (GUS indices) were calculated. Res pect to their parent compounds, the examined metabolites generally hav e higher DT50 and lower Koc values. Consequently, they show leaching c haracteristics higher than their parent compounds. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd