Aging of triazine amine in soils demonstrated through sorption, desorption, and bioavailability measurements

The aging of triazine amine in soil was studied during a time course of 119 d by measuring bioavailability in terms of mineralization after inoculation of the triazine amine-degrading bacterium Rhodococcus erythropolis TA57. The bioavailability was measured in four soil samples: A-, B-, and C-horizons from an agricultural soil profile and in a peat soil. The sorption of triazine amine in the soil samples was quantified during the period of aging in terms of sorption distribution coefficients (Kd) and desorption distribution coefficients (Kd,des). Measures of bioavailability and triazine amine concentration in the nonavailable fraction showed effects of aging in the soils that were rich in organic matter. The triazine amine bioavailability declined significantly during the aging period in soils containing greater than 2% organic carbon, whereas the B- and C-horizons showed no signs of aging, in agreement with their low content of organic material. Corresponding to this, desorption decreased significantly in the A-horizon but, surprisingly, not in the peat soil. Analyses by thin-layer chromatography indicated an association of aqueous triazine amine and dissolved organic matter in the peat soil. This gives an explanation for both the significant decrease in bioavailability and the noncorresponding stability of the nonavailable (i.e., nondesorbed) fraction.