Study of the degradation of diphenyl-ether herbicides aclonifen and bifenox in different environmental waters

The degradation of the diphenyl-ether herbicides aclonifen (ACL) and bifenox (BF) in water samples has been studied under different laboratory conditions, using in-tube solid-phase microextraction (IT-SPME) coupled to capillary liquid chromatography (capLC). The working conditions were selected in order to detect also bifenox acid (BFA), a compound formed as a result of the hydroxylation of BF. Samples (4 mL) were processed without any previous treatment, which allowed the detection of the herbicides at low ppt levels. The effects of temperature, light and pH on the degradation of ACL and BF have been tested using standard solutions prepared in nanopure water. The effect of the sample matrix has been evaluated by analysing different environmental waters spiked with the herbicides, namely ditch water, river water and seawater. The kinetics of the degradation have been studied and the half-life times (t_1/2) have been calculated. The results obtained have demonstrated that the sample matrix is the most important parameter affecting the degradation of the tested herbicides. The degradation of both ACL and BF was much faster in ditch and river water samples, where t_1/2 values of only a few days were observed. However, both compounds showed a better stability in seawater samples, where they can persist for several months. In all matrices ACL was found to be more stable than BF. In samples where BF had been substantially degraded, BFA was also detected, although the stability of this compound was also limited. Other degradation products have been detected along the study.