Soil Solution and Mobility Characterization of Imazaquin

Abstract

Imazaquin {2-[4,5-dihydro-4-methyl-4-(1-methylethyl)-5-oxo-1H-imidazol-2-yl]-3-quinolinecarboxylic acid} sorption and mobility were studied in five Alabama soils ranging from sandy loam to clay. Techniques included thinlayer soil chromatography, batch equilibrium, and soil solution recovery. Imazaquin was mobile in all soils with Rfvalues of 0.8 to 0.9. Sorption based on batch equilibrium was minimal with Kdvalues ranging from 0.001 to 0.21. The soil solution recovery technique was used to evaluate imazaquin sorption in each soil as influenced by imazaquin concentration, wetting and drying, and pH. As herbicide concentration added to the soils was increased from 0.1 to 10 mg/kg, the amount of14C-imazaquin in soil solution increased. Temporarily drying each soil to 25 or 50% of field capacity resulted in maximum sorption of imazaquin. Lowering the pH enhanced sorption in all soils such that the amount of imazaquin in solution ranged from 38 (low pH) to 100% (high pH). Soil sorption appeared to be governed by the pH-dependent charge surfaces from aluminum and iron oxyhydroxides (specifically hematite and gibbsite) and kaolinite.