Glyphosate transport through weathered granite soils under irrigated and non-irrigated conditions - Barcelona, Spain

Lucila Candela, Juan Caballero, Daniel Ronen

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

37 Scopus citations

Abstract

The transport of Glyphosate ([N-phosphonomethyl] glycine), AMPA (aminomethylphosphonic acid, CH6NO3P), and Bromide (Br-) has been studied, in the Mediterranean Maresme area of Spain, north of Barcelona, where groundwater is located at a depth of 5.5m. The unsaturated zone of weathered - granite soils was characterized in adjacent irrigated and non-irrigated experimental plots where 11 and 10 boreholes were drilled, respectively. At the non irrigated plot, the first half of the period was affected by a persistent and intense rainfall. After 69days of application residues of Glyphosate up to 73.6μgg-1 were detected till a depth of 0.5m under irrigated conditions, AMPA, analyzed only in the irrigated plot was detected till a depth of 0.5m. According to the retardation coefficient of Glyphosate as compared to that of Br- for the topsoil and subsoil (80 and 83, respectively) and the maximum observed migration depth of Br- (2.9m) Glyphosate and AMPA should have been detected till a depth of 0.05m only. Such migration could be related to the low content of organic matter and clays in the soils; recharge generated by irrigation and heavy rain, and possible preferential solute transport and/or colloidal mediated transport.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2509-2516
Number of pages8
JournalScience of the Total Environment
Volume408
Issue number12
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 May 2010

Keywords

  • AMPA
  • Agricultural management
  • Field experiments
  • Glyphosate
  • Mediterranean area
  • Vadose zone

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Environmental Engineering
  • Environmental Chemistry
  • Waste Management and Disposal
  • Pollution

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