Degradation of chloroacetanilide herbicides: The prevalence of sulfonic and oxanilic acid metabolites in Iowa groundwaters and surface waters

Environmental Science & Technology
By: , and 

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Abstract

Water samples were collected from 88 municipal wells throughout Iowa during the summer and were collected monthly at 12 stream sites in eastern Iowa from March to December 1996 to study the occurrence of the sulfonic and oxanilic metabolites of acetochlor, alachlor, and metolachlor. The sulfonic and oxanilic metabolites were present in almost 75% of the groundwater samples and were generally present from 3 to 45 times more frequently than their parent compounds. In groundwater, the median value of the summed concentrations of acetochlor, alachlor, and metolachlor was less than 0.05 μg/L, and the median value of the summed concentrations of the six metabolites was 1.2 μg/L. All surface water samples contained at least one detectable metabolite compound. Individual metabolites were detected from 2 to over 100 times more frequently than the parent compounds. In surface water, the median value of the summed concentrations of the three parent compounds was 0.13 μg/L, and the median value of the summed concentrations of the six metabolites was 6.4 μg/L. These data demonstrate the importance of analyzing both parent compounds and metabolites to more fully understand the environmental fate and transport of herbicides in the hydrologic system.

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Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Degradation of chloroacetanilide herbicides: The prevalence of sulfonic and oxanilic acid metabolites in Iowa groundwaters and surface waters
Series title Environmental Science & Technology
DOI 10.1021/es971138t
Volume 32
Issue 11
Year Published 1998
Language English
Publisher American Chemical Society
Contributing office(s) Iowa Water Science Center, Toxic Substances Hydrology Program
Description 3 p.
First page 1738
Last page 1740
Country United States
State Iowa
Online Only (Y/N) N
Additional Online Files (Y/N) N
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