Effect of maturing turfgrass soils on the leaching of the herbicide mecoprop

• Published in: Chemosphere (Oxford) Vol. 33; no. 4; pp. 585 - 593
• Main Authors: Petrovic, A.Martin, Larsson-Kovach, Inga-Mai
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.08.1996; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Biological and physicochemical properties of pollutants. Interaction in the soil; Exact sciences and technology; Pollution; Soil and sediments pollution; Turf; Carboxylic acid; Chlorine Organic compounds; Lixiviation; Aromatic compound; Water pollution; Risk analysis; Soil pollution; Herbicide; Ground water
• ISSN: 0045-6535; 1879-1298
• DOI: 10.1016/0045-6535(96)00209-3

Leaching of the herbicide mecoprop, [2-(4-chloro-2-methyl-phenoxy)propionic acid] (MCPP), was studied on three types of turfgrass soils; silt loam, fine sandy loam and acid sand, to assess the potential for ground water contamination. Each soil was prepared in plots as free draining lysimeters and seeded with Penncross creeping grass to simulate golf course fairways. The downward migration of MCPP was determined from collected leachate water and residue analysis were done by high performance liquid chromatography. The extent of pesticide leaching was determined to be a function of interval after herbicide application, amount of irrigation water and maturity of the turfgrass stand. The irrigation and water collection patterns do not explain most of the differences in the leaching profiles, in particular of the sand plots. The concentration of mecoprop in the sand leachates was high compared to the finer textured soils but decreased substantially with increasing time after herbicide application in all three soils as well as with maturity of the grass and with more biomass from first to third year application. Where groundwater monitoring is being done, MCPP is a likely candidate for residue analysis if the site has very sandy soils.