Non-UV light influences the degradation rate of crop protection products

Crop protection products (CPPs) are subject to strict regulatory evaluation, including laboratory and field trials, prior to approval for commercial use. Laboratory tests lack environmental realism, while field trials are difficult to control. Addition of environmental complexity to laboratory systems is therefore desirable to mimic a field environment more effectively. We investigated the effect of non-UV light on the degradation of eight CPPs (chlorotoluron, prometryn, cinosulfuron, imidacloprid, lufenuron, propiconazole, fludioxonil, and benzovindiflupyr) by addition of non-UV light to standard OECD 307 guidelines. Time taken for 50% degradation of benzovindiflupyr was halved from 373 to 183 days with the inclusion of light. Similarly, time taken for 90% degradation of chlorotoluron decreased from 79 to 35 days under light conditions. Significant reductions in extractable parent compound occurred under light conditions for prometryn (4%), imidacloprid (8%), and fludioxonil (24%) compared to dark controls. However, a significantly slower rate of cinosulfuron (14%) transformation was observed under light compared to dark conditions. Under light conditions, nonextractable residues were significantly higher for seven of the CPPs. Soil biological and chemical analyses suggest that light stimulates phototroph growth, which may directly and/or indirectly impact CPP degradation rates. The results of this study strongly suggest that light is an important parameter affecting CPP degradation, and inclusion of light into regulatory studies may enhance their environmental realism.