USE OF UNDISTURBED SOIL COLUMNS UNDER CONTROLLED CONDITIONS TO STUDY THE FATE OF [C-14] DEETHYLATRAZINE

The fate of C-14]deethylatrazine [2-chloro-4-amino-6-(isopropylamino)- s-triazine] was studied under controlled conditions by using undisturb ed soil columns in the laboratory. In a 13-week leaching study, the pe rcentage of [C-14]deethylatrazine recovered was greatest in the first leaching event (1.3% of the applied C-14), suggesting that preferentia l flow occurred. The total concentration of deethylatrazine leached fr om soil columns over the 13-week period was 4.9 mu g/L (3.6% of the ap plied C-14). Unidentified polar degradates made up 3.8% of the applied radioactivity recovered in the leachate, and didealkylatrazine [2-chl oro-4,6-(diamino)-s-triazine] and deethylhydroxyatrazine [2-hydroxy-4- amino-6-(isopropylamino)-s-occurred in trace quantities. Sixty-seven p ercent of the applied C-14 remained in the top 10 cm of soil columns, with 48% as bound residues, 12% as unidentified polar degradates, 5.5% as deethylatrazine, 0.2% as didealkylatrazine, and less than 0.1% as deethylhydroxyatrazine.