Sorption and mobility assessment of tembotrione in soils of upper, trans and middle Gangetic plain zones of India

Abstract

The presence of undesired agrochemicals residues in soil and water poses risks to both human health and the environment. The behavior of pesticides in soil depends both on the physico‐chemical properties of pesticides and soil type. This study examined the adsorption–desorption and leaching behavior of the maize herbicide tembotrione in soils of the upper (UGPZ), trans (TGPZ) and middle Gangetic plain zones of India. Soil samples were extracted using acetone followed by partitioning with dichloromethane, whereas liquid–liquid extraction using dichloromethane was used for aqueous samples. Residues of tembotrione and its metabolite TCMBA, {2‐chloro‐4‐(methylsulfonyl)‐3‐[(2,2,2‐trifluoroethoxy) methyl] benzoic acid}, were quantified using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. The data revealed that tembotrione adsorption decreased with increasing pH and dissolved organic matter but increased with salinity. The maximum adsorption occurred at pH 4, 0.01 m sodium citrate and 4 g/L NaCl, with corresponding Freundlich constants of 1.83, 2.28 and 3.32, respectively. The hysteresis index <1 indicated faster adsorption than desorption. Leaching studies under different flow conditions revealed least mobility in UGPZ soil and high mobility in TGPZ soil, consistent with groundwater ubiquity scores of 4.27 and 4.81, respectively. Soil amendments decreased tembotrione mobility in the order: unamended > wheat straw ash > wheat straw > farm yard manure > compost. The transformation of tembotrione to TCMBA and its mobility in soil columns were also assessed.