Physico-chemical versus microbial release of 14c-atrazine bound residues from a loamy clay soil incubated in laboratory microcosms

A loamy clay soil containing unextractable 14C-ring labeled atrazine residues was incubated in microcosms under abiotic and biotic conditions. The mineralization activity of the soil microflora was evaluated by the release of total CO2 and 14C02. After 63 days of sample incubation the total organic carbon mineralization was of 1.71%, that of 14C-residues was of 0.72% of the initial radioactivity. No direct relationship was established between the mineralization of atrazine residues and the global mineralization. The contribution of soil microorganisms in the release of 14C-residues was weak. The availability of non-extractable residues was mainly controlled by physico-chemical factors. The low value of the reextractability rate and the distribution of bound residues during the soil sample incubation shown the active role of organic matter in detoxification procedure. Ninety percent of the residues remained bound after 63 days of incubation and were thus, potentially available without biocide activity. The fractionation of soil organic matter allowed to specify the distribution of bound residues within the organic compartments. After a long-stay of pesticides in soils, approximately 65% of bound residues were associated with humin.