Adsorption–desorption studies of alachlor, metolachlor, EPTC, chlorothalonil and pirimiphos‐methyl in contrasting soils

Five soils with different organic matter contents ranging from 0.48 to 10.4% were used to study the adsorption and desorption of alachlor, metolachor, EPTC, chlorothalonil and pirimiphos-methyl in batch experiments. The isotherm shapes according to Giles classification were S-type for alachlor, metolachlor and chlorothalonil, changing to L-type for the latter as the level of soil organic matter increased, and L-type for EPTC and pirimiphos-methyl. The adsorption isotherms fitted the Freundlich equation x/m = KfCe1/n. The Kf values increased with the increase of organic matter content. The amounts of pesticides adsorbed over a range of concentrations of 0.1-20 mg litre-1 reached 63.1% for alachlor, 69.2% for metolachlor, 89.3% for EPTC, 98.4% for chlorothalonil and 96.3% for pirimiphos-methyl. The increase of the amounts desorbed with acetone indicated that the sorption of organic compounds onto organic matter occurred principally via weak London-type induction forces, or dispersion forces which are characteristics of the physical adsorption process.