Cyanuric acid--a s-triazine derivative as a nitrogen source for some soil microorganisms

Cyanuric acid was not toxic for soil microorganisms examined and was even observed to stimulate the growth of Azotobacter in chernozem. Some isolated fungi were capable of cleaving the ring of cyanuric acid. With the use of 15N-labeled cyanuric acid it was found that the nitrogen taken from this compound by Aspergillus minutus and Pseudogymnoascus sp. was incorporated into their proteins. About 70-90% of 15N derived from cyanuric acid was detected in the biomass of the examined fungi. The ability of soil microorganisms to cleave the triazine ring is of importance in the detoxication of soils treated with triazine herbicides.