Fate of the herbicide glufosinate-ammonium in the sandy, low-organic-carbon aquifer at CFB Borden, Ontario, Canada

The herbicide glufosinate-ammonium was persistent in aerobic sandy aquifer material in laboratory batch and field in situ microcosms when added at concentrations of 50–400 μg L−1. In contrast, the compound is biotransformed relatively quickly in surface soil. Glufosinate transformation and metabolite (3-methylphosphinyl-propionic acid) production in carbonamended laboratory microcosms demonstrated that the aquifer system was carbon-limited with respect to glufosinate transformation. Microbiological test showed that flufosinateammonium and sodium-glufosinate was be used as a nitrogen source, in the presence of sufficient carbon. Glufosinate was not used by the native microorganisms as a source of phosphorus, nor metabolized as a sole carbon and energy source. Ammonium appeared to be preferred over glufosinate as a nitrogen source. When representative microbial strains isolated from the Borden aquifer were tested, most were glufosinate-ammonium tolerant. Complete inhibition of some isolates was demonstrated only at very high concentrations of 2–4 g L−1. The research suggests that in an aquifer with a relatively low clay content and little labile organic carbon, such as the sandy aquifer at the field site, glufosinate will be persistent and transport will be essentially unretarded. The availability of alternative nitrogen sources was also indicated as a parameter that can affect persistence.