S. Y. Panshin, D. Carter, E. R. Bayless
May 2, 2000
Citations
6
Influential Citations
62
Citations
Journal
Environmental Science & Technology
Abstract
A new method is described for the analysis of atrazine and four of its degradation products (desethylatrazine, deisopropylatrazine, didealkylatrazine, and hydroxyatrazine) in water. This method uses solid-phase extraction on a graphitized carbon black cartridge, derivatization of the eluate with N-methyl-N-(tert-butyldimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide (MTBSTFA), and analysis by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). This method was used to analyze lysimeter samples collected from a field in central Indiana in 1994 and 1995. Atrazine and its degradation products were transported rapidly through the vadose zone. Maximum values of atrazine ranged from 2.61 to 8.44 μg/L and occurred from 15 to 57 days after application. Maximum concentrations of the degradation products occurred from 11 to 140 days after atrazine application. The degradation products were more persistent than atrazine in pore water. Desethylatrazine was the dominant degradation product detected in the first year, and didealkylatrazine wa...