Journal article

Publication year: 2020

Journal: Environmental Monitoring and Assessment

Volume number: 192

Issue number: 2

ISSN: 0167-6369

eISSN: 1573-2959

Open access status: Hybrid

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-019-8045-4

Publisher: Springer

Abstract: 
Glyphosate (GLYP), the globally most important herbicide, may have effects in various compartments of the environment such as soil and water. Although laboratory studies showed fast microbial degradation and a low leaching potential, it is often detected in various environmental compartments, but pathways are unknown. Therefore, the objective was to study GLYP leaching and transformations in a lysimeter field experiment over a study period of one hydrological year using non-radioactive C-13(2)-N-15-GLYP labelling and maize cultivation. N-15 and C-13 were selectively measured using isotopic ratio mass spectrometry (IR-MS) in leachates, soil, and plant material. Additionally, HPLC coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) was used for quantitation of GLYP and its main degradation product aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) in different environmental compartments (leachates and soil). Results show low recoveries for GLYP (< 3%) and AMPA (< level of detection) in soil after the study period, whereas recoveries of N-15 (11-19%) and C-13 (23-54%) were higher. Time independent enrichment of N-15 and C-13 and the absence of GLYP and AMPA in leachates indicated further degradation. N-15 was enriched in all compartments of maize plants (roots, shoots, and cobs). C-13 was only enriched in roots. Results confirmed rapid degradation to further degradation products, e.g., (NH4+)-N-15, which plausibly was taken up as nutrient by plants. Due to the discrepancy of low GLYP and AMPA concentrations in soil, but higher values for N-15 and C-13 after the study period, it cannot be excluded that non-extractable residues of GLYP remained and accumulated in soil.

Harvard Citation style: Gros, P., Meissner, R., Wirth, M., Kanwischer, M., Rupp, H., Schulz-Bull, D., et al. (2020) Leaching and degradation of ¹³C₂-¹⁵N-glyphosate in field lysimeters, Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 192(2), Article 127. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-019-8045-4

APA Citation style: Gros, P., Meissner, R., Wirth, M., Kanwischer, M., Rupp, H., Schulz-Bull, D., & Leinweber, P. (2020). Leaching and degradation of ¹³C₂-¹⁵N-glyphosate in field lysimeters. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment. 192(2), Article 127. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-019-8045-4