Plant uptake and distribution of endosulfan and its sulfate metabolite persisted in soil

Abstract

The distributions of endosulfan (ED) residues (α-, β-isomers, and sulfate-metabolite) in cucumbers grown in soils treated with ED at concentrations of 20 and 40 mg kg-1 were assessed using indoor and outdoor experiments. In all treatments, degradation rates of the α-isomer in soils were higher than that of the β-isomer. In the indoor tests, uptake amounts of total ED by cucumbers, after 15 d of growth, were 7.8 and 14.5 mg kg-1 in 20 and 40 mg kg-1-treated pots, respectively. For growth time from 15 to 30 d, uptake amounts in 20 and 40 mg kg-1-treated pots were 3.8 and 7.9 mg kg-1, respectively. Outdoor tests resulted in smaller ED residues in cucumbers than those in indoor tests. In both indoor and outdoor tests, ED residues absorbed were highest in roots, and the α-isomer was the more frequently absorbed isomer. These results will be useful for determining management criteria for soil persistent pesticides.