Analysis of Selected Herbicide Metabolites in Surface and Ground Water of the United States

Abstract

Organic contaminants in rivers, streams, and ground water are a major concern throughout the United States. There have been numerous studies completed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and manufacturers of herbicides in which water samples have been analyzed for organic compounds. However, there has been very little study of the degradation products of these compounds. This poster describes the analysis of herbicide degradation products using methods developed by the USGS at their organic geochemistry research laboratory in Lawrence, Kansas. Overall goals of the research laboratory have been to develop analytical methods for herbicides in surface and ground water throughout the United States and internationally, and to understand the transport of herbicides and their metabolites in water using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, high-performance liquid chromatography, liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The research laboratory develops new methods for the analysis of herbicides and their degradation products for two purposes--(1) surveys of ground water, surface water, lakes, reservoirs, and rainfall and (2) studies of geochemical processes.

Degradates studies by the USGS research laboratory include the following detections by the gas chromatography/mass spectrometry: atrazine degradation to deisopropylatrazine, deethylatrazine, and hydroxyatrazine; cyanazine degradation to deisopropylatrazine, cyanazine amide, deethylcyanazine amide, cyanazine acid, and deethylcyanazine acid; prometryn degradation to deisopropylprometryn; propazine degradation to deethylatrazine by loss of an isopropyl group; and simazine degradation to deisopropylatrazine by loss of an ethyl group. Studies in cotton-growing areas in the Southern United States have included the analysis of the following degradation compounds: diuron degradation to 3,4-dichloroanaline, 3,4-dichlorophenylurea, and 3,4-dichloromethylphenylurea; fluometuron degradation to demethylfluometuron, trifluoromethylaniline, and trifluoromethylphenylurea; norflurazon degradation to demethylnorflurazon; and propanil degradation to 3,4-dichloroaniline. Isolation and detection have also been achieved for the chloroacetanilide herbicides acetochlor, alachlor, and metolachlor and their ethane sulfonic acid and oxanilic acid degradation products using high-performance liquid chromatography and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. Alachlor and ethane sulfonic acid have also been detected using immunoassay.

Additional information about the Organic Geochemistry Research Laboratory can be found at: http://ks.water.usgs.gov/studies/reslab/

Scribner, E.A., Thurman, E.M., and Zimmerman, L.R., 1999, Analysis of Selected Herbicide Metabolites in Surface and Ground Water of the United States, in Daniel, B.J., ed., Proceedings of the Twenty-Ninth Mississippi Water Resources Conference, April 7-8, 1999, Raymond, Mississippi: Mississippi State, Mississippi Water Resources Research Institute, p. 110-119.

To request a paper copy of this proceedings article, email: scribner@.usgs.gov