New methods for determination of glyphosate and (aminomethyl)phosphonic acid in water and soil

New methods were developed to determine glyphosate, N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine, and its major metabolite, (aminomethyl)phosphonic acid in groundwater and soil. The methods involve ligand-exchange, anion-exchange and derivatisation and final identification and quantification by GC–MS. The limits of quantification in this experiment were 0.1 μg l−1 for both compounds in water and 0.006 μg g−1 for both compounds in soil. Decomposition in soil and occurrence in groundwater of the herbicide glyphosate was studied after its application for weed control on a Swedish railway embankment.