Enhanced Degradation and Soil Depth Effects on the Fate of Atrazine and Major Metabolites in Colorado and Mississippi Soils

The aim of this report is to inform modelers of the differences in atrazine fate between s‐triazine–adapted and nonadapted soils as a function of depth in the profile and to recommend atrazine and metabolite input values for pesticide process submodules. The objectives of this study were to estimate the atrazine‐mineralizing bacterial population, cumulative atrazine mineralization, atrazine persistence, and metabolite (desethylatrazine [DEA], deisopropylatrazine [DIA], and hydroxyatrazine [HA]) formation and degradation in Colorado and Mississippi s‐triazine–adapted and nonadapted soils at three depths (0–5, 5–15, and 15–30 cm). Regardless of depth, the AMBP and cumulative atrazine mineralization was at least 3.8‐fold higher in s‐triazine–adapted than in nonadapted soils. Atrazine half‐life (T1/2) values pooled over nonadapted soils and depths approximated historic estimates (T1/2 = 60 d). Atrazine persistence in all depths of s‐triazine–adapted soils was at least fourfold lower than that of the nonadapted soil. Atrazine metabolite concentrations were lower in s‐triazine–adapted than in nonadapted soil by 35 d after incubation regardless of depth. Results indicate that (i) reasonable fate and transport modeling of atrazine will require identifying if soils are adapted to s‐triazine herbicides. For example, our data confirm the 60‐d T1/2 for atrazine in nonadapted soils, but a default input value of 6 d for atrazine is required for s‐triazine adapted soils. (ii) Literature estimates for DEA, DIA, and HA T1/2 values in nonadapted soils are 52, 36, and 60 d, respectively, whereas our analysis indicates that reasonable T1/2 values for s‐triazine–adapted soils are 10 d for DEA, 8 d for DIA, and 6 d for HA. (iii) An estimate for the relative distribution of DIA, DEA, and HA produced in nonadapted soils is 18, 72, and 10% of parent, respectively. In s‐triazine–adapted soils, the values were 6, 23, and 71% for DIA, DEA, and HA, respectively. The effects of soil adaptation on metabolite distribution need to be confirmed in field experiments.