Acrylamide monomer leaching from polyacrylamide-treated irrigation furrows.

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Environmental Chemistry
• Soil Science

Background:

• Water-soluble anionic polyacrylamide (WSPAM) is utilized in agriculture to mitigate soil erosion.
• WSPAM contains acrylamide monomer (AMD), a neurotoxicant and potential carcinogen, which can dissolve in water.
• Understanding AMD's environmental fate is crucial for assessing potential groundwater contamination.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify acrylamide monomer (AMD) leaching losses from WSPAM-treated corn fields.
• To assess the risk of groundwater contamination by AMD in agricultural settings.

Main Methods:

• Continuous extraction-walled percolation samplers were installed at 1.2 m depth in a WSPAM-treated corn field.
• Samples of furrow inflows and percolation water were collected during and after three furrow irrigations.
• Acrylamide monomer concentrations were analyzed using gas chromatography with an electron-capture detector.

Main Results:

• Average AMD concentration in furrow inflows was 5.5 microg L(-1).
• AMD concentrations in percolation water samples remained below the detection limit and the potable water standard of 0.5 microg L(-1).

Conclusions:

• Leaching of acrylamide monomer (AMD) from WSPAM-treated fields into deeper soil layers is minimal.
• The risk of groundwater contamination by AMD from WSPAM application in furrow-irrigated corn fields appears to be low.