Sulfadimethoxine and sulfaguanidine: Their sorption potential on natural soils

• Published in: Chemosphere (Oxford) Vol. 86; no. 10; pp. 1059 - 1065
• Main Authors: Białk-Bielińska, Anna, Maszkowska, Joanna, Mrozik, Wojciech, Bielawska, Agata, Kołodziejska, Marta, Palavinskas, Richard, Stepnowski, Piotr, Kumirska, Jolanta
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.03.2012; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adsorption; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Anti-Infective Agents - analysis; Anti-Infective Agents - chemistry; Applied sciences; Biological and medical sciences; Biological and physicochemical properties of pollutants. Interaction in the soil; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Models, Chemical; Natural environment; Pollution; Pollution, environment geology; Soil; Soil - chemistry; Soil and sediments pollution; Soil and water pollution; Soil Pollutants - analysis; Soil Pollutants - chemistry; Soil science; Sorption; Sulfadimethoxine; Sulfadimethoxine - analysis; Sulfadimethoxine - chemistry; Sulfaguanidine; Sulfaguanidine - analysis; Sulfaguanidine - chemistry; Sulfonamides; Sorption; Soil; Natural environment; Sulfaguanidine; Sulfonamides; Sulfadimethoxine; Drug; Sulfonamide; Pollutant behavior; Adsorption capacity; Veterinary medicine; Soil pollution; Agriculture; Organic compounds; Aquaculture
• ISSN: 0045-6535; 1879-1298
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2011.11.058

► Sorption of sulfadimethoxine and sulfaguanidine on natural soils was determined. ► The results were modeled by linear, Freundlich and Langmuir sorption isotherms. ► Sorption potential is strongly influenced by many factors. ► Kd increased with OC and decreased at higher values of pH and ionic strength. ► Selected substances have the potential to be transported to water compartments. Sulfonamides (SAs) are one of the oldest groups of veterinary chemotherapeutic agents. As these compounds are not completely metabolized in animals, a high proportion of the native form is excreted in feces and urine. They are therefore released either directly to the environment in aquacultures and by grazing animals, or indirectly during the application of manure or slurry. Once released into the environment, SAs become distributed among various environmental compartments and may be transported to surface or ground waters. The physicochemical properties of SAs, dosage and nature of the matrix are the factors mainly responsible for their distribution in the natural environment. Although these rather polar compounds have been in use for over half a century, knowledge of their fate and behavior in soil ecosystems is still limited. Therefore, in this work we have determined the sorption potential of sulfadimethoxine and sulfaguanidine on various natural soils. The influence on sorption of external factors, such as ionic strength and pH, were also determined. The sorption coefficients (Kd) obtained for the sulfonamides investigated were quite low (from 0.20 to 381.17mLg−1 for sulfadimethoxine and from 0.39 to 35.09mLg−1 for sulfaguanidine), which indicated that these substances are highly mobile and have the potential to run off into surface waters and/or infiltrate ground water. Moreover, the sorption of these pharmaceuticals was found to be influenced by OC, soil solution pH and ionic strength, with higher Kd values for soils of higher OC and lower Kd values with increasing pH and ionic strength.