Characterization of Alachlor and Atrazine Desorption from Soils

Herbicide desorption isotherms may be affected by the amount of nondesorbable herbicide present in soil. Nondesorbable alachlor (as determined after methanol extraction) generally increased on a Waukegan silt loam (Typic Hapludolls) and a Ves clay loam (Udic Haplustolls) during five 0.01 M CaCl 2 desorptions. Atrazine was totally extracted with methanol from the Waukegan soil after one desorption using 0.01 M CaCl 2 . However, after five desorptions with 0.01 M CaCl 2 an average of 5.5 and 15.5% of the total recovered atrazine from two atrazine application rates was methanol nondesorbable from the Waukegan and Ves soils, respectively. Freundlich desorption isotherms adjusted for nondesorbable herbicide accounted for as much as 71 % of the difference between adsorption and desorption isotherms. Only a portion of the hysteresis observed can be attributable to nondesorbable herbicide.