Rapid dissipation of atrazine in soils taken from various maize fields

A laboratory study was carried out in order to measure the degradation rate of atrazine in 36 different soils taken from maize (Zea mays L.) fields in Belgium. These soils differed in their atrazine treatment histories, pH, organic matter content, and type of organic and mineral fertilization. Half-lives of less than 10 days were found in more than 60% of the soils sampled. This rapid dissipation could be linked in a significant way to repeated pretreatments with atrazine (intensive maize cropping) as well as to higher pH values (from neutral to alkaline). A low organic matter content might also be a factor explaining the rapid degradation of atrazine, but to a lesser extent than the first two factors. On the other hand, mineral fertilization was shown to slow down atrazine dissipation. It is hypothesized that repeated treatments of atrazine cause a microbial adaptation to atrazine degradation and that acidic soil conditions impede this adaptation. To date, this is the first time that evidence for widespread accelerated degradation of atrazine has been reported.