Investigation of the occurrence of pesticide residues in rural wells and surface water following application to tobacco

In this work the exposure of wells and surface water to pesticides, commonly used for tobacco cropping, was assessed. Water consumption wells and surface water flows were sampled at different times. After a preconcentration step with solid phase extraction (SPE), the selected pesticides were determined by gas chromatography with electron capture detection (GC-ECD) or high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD). No pesticides were detected in the well water samples and surface water flow in the winter season. However, in the spring and summer higher concentrations of chlorpyrifos and imidacloprid were found in the water source samples. Atrazine, simazine and clomazone were also found. The occurrence of pesticides in collected water samples was related with the application to tobacco

Vermiculite with hydroxy-aluminium interlayer and kaolinite formation in a subtropical sandy soil from south Brazil

International audienceThe purpose of this study was to investigate the clay mineral phases in a Rhodic Acrisol soil and subsequently discuss their evolution in substropical conditions. Prairie and forest soil profiles were sampled and clay fractions of the parent material and soil horizons analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) at the Federal University of Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul-Brazil. The XRD results show the presence of interstratified kaolinite-smectite as well as illite in the parent material. These minerals were also found in the soil samples but with two new phases: hydroxy-aluminium interlayered vermiculite (HIV), which showed incomplete collapse with treatment at 550°C, and a newly formed kaolinite (d = 7,17 A). Under a subtropical climate and a sandy lithology, HIV and kaolinite appear to be a result of a specific pedogenic clay formation, in relation with the natural vegetation. Originally under the prairie area, the intensity of the weathering processes were weak (within 2:1 clay minerals), as only small quantities of kaolinite and Fe oxides, and no evidence of gibbsite, were found

Contaminação de águas superficiais por agrotóxicos em função do uso do solo numa microbacia hidrográfica de Agudo, RS Contamination of surface water by pesticides as a function of soil use in the Agudo watershed, RS

Realizou-se este trabalho com o intuito de quantificar a presença de moléculas de agrotóxicos em águas superficiais de três unidades paisagísticas (UP) com diferentes configurações de uso, numa microbacia hidrográfica de cabeceira em Agudo, RS. Dois coletores semi-automáticos de água foram instalados no córrego de cada UP, onde se coletaram amostras, por ocasião de chuvas, em três épocas da cultura do fumo: transplante, aterramento junto aos pés da cultura (planta com 6-10 folhas) e colheita. Os princípios ativos imidacloprid, atrazina, simazina e clomazone foram quantificados por Cromatografia Líquida de Alta Eficiência com Detecção no Ultravioleta (HPLC-UV). Clorpirifós, flumetralin e iprodione foram analisados por Cromatografia Gasosa com Detecção por Captura de Elétrons (GC-ECD), porém não apresentaram concentrações detectáveis nas amostras. Os pontos de coleta cuja UP se configurou com a presença de lavouras com fumo e de reduzida mata ciliar, mostraram pelo menos um princípio ativo de agrotóxico e em uma época; contudo, nenhum agrotóxico foi detectado na UP, que se apresentou totalmente coberta com vegetação permanente ou com expressiva proteção dos córregos pela mata ciliar.This work was accomplished with the intention of quantifying the presence of pesticide molecules in surface waters of three landscape units (LU) with different usage configurations in the Agudo watershed of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Two semiautomatic water collectors were installed at the stream of each LU, from which samples were collected during rain over three stages of the tobacco growing season: seedling transplant, tobacco plants with 6-10 expanded leaves, and at harvest. Imidacloprid, atrazine, simazine, and clomazone compounds were quantified by High Performance Liquid Chromatography with Ultraviolet Detector (HPLC-UV). Chlorpyrifos, flumetralin and iprodione were analyzed by Gas Chromatography with Electron Capture Detector (GC-ECD), but these compounds were not detected in the samples. The sampling points where the LU was configured with both the presence of tobacco crops and reduced gallery forest, showed at least one pesticide compound in a sampling time. No pesticide was detected in the LU, which is completely covered with permanent vegetation or with gallery forest protecting the water courses

Contribuição de constituintes de solo à capacidade de troca de cátions obtida por diferentes métodos de extração Contribution of soil constituents to the cation exchange capacity as determined by different extraction methods

A capacidade de troca de cátions (CTC) é uma propriedade físico-química intrínseca aos constituintes minerais e orgânicos do solo. Apesar do uso de diferentes extratores e procedimentos, a CTC é normalmente expressa considerando apenas o controle ou não do pH na solução extratora. O objetivo deste trabalho foi discutir o significado da contribuição da matéria orgânica do solo prepresentada pelo carbono orgânico total (COT) e da argila à capacidade de troca de cátions de um Argissolo quando diferentes métodos estão envolvidos na determinação desse parâmetro. Para isso, utilizaram-se 75 amostras de um Argissolo Vermelho-Amarelo distrófico abrúptico da área do Departamento de Solos da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, representando, em triplicata, cinco profundidades e cinco sistemas de uso e manejo de solo. A CTC efetiva (CTC E) foi estimada pelo cloreto de hexamina cobalto (CTC E Cohex) e pela soma de cátions Al3+, Ca2+, Mg2+ e K+ (CTC E SB + AlKCl), os três primeiros extraídos por KCl e o último por Mehlich-1; a CTC em pH 7,0 (CTC7) foi estimada por acetato de amônio (CTC7 Metson) e pela soma de cátions Ca2+, Mg2+ e K+ e H + Al estimado pelo índice SMP (CTC7 SB + H + AlSMP). Os valores de CTC obtidos pelos diferentes métodos se relacionam entre si, com coeficientes de correlação linear simples acima de 0,93. Os valores de CTC7 Metson são subestimados quando comparados com o método CTC7 (SB + H + AlSMP). Nesse sentido, as contribuições da argila e do COT à CTC7 foram, respectivamente, menores para a CTC7 Metson, 19 e 256 cmol c kg-1, que para a CTC7 (SB + H + AlSMP), 23 e 399 cmol c kg-1. A contribuição dos constituintes de solo depende, então, do cátion extrator e da capacidade de extração dos métodos empregados.<br>The cation exchange capacity (CEC) is a physicochemical property dependent on mineral and organic soil constituents. Despite the use of different procedures and extractors the CEC is normally expressed considering only the pH control or not of the extracted solution. This study aims to discuss the significance of the contribution of organic carbon and clay to the CEC of an Acrisol, using different determination methods. For this purpose, 75 samples of an abruptic Red-Yellow Acrisol from the Universidade Federal de Santa Maria campus were used, representing five layers and five land use and management systems, in triplicate. The CEC E was estimated by cobalt hexamine trichloride (CEC E Cohex) and by the sum of cations Al3+ , Ca2+, Mg2+, and K+ (CEC E SB+AlKCl), the first three extracted by KCl and the last by Mehlich-1; the CEC7 was estimated by ammonium acetate (CEC7 Metson) and the sum of bases Ca2+ , Mg2+and K+ and H+Al was estimated by the SMP index (CEC7 SB+H+AlSMP). The CEC values obtained with the different methods are correlated, with coefficients of determination over 0.93. The CEC7 Metson values are subestimated when compared with those by CEC7 (SB+H+AlSMP). The contribution of clay and organic carbon to CEC7 was, respectively, 23 and 399 cmol c kg-1 for CEC7 (SB+H+AlSMP) and 19 and 256 cmol c kg-1 for CEC7 Metson. The contribution of the soil constituents depends on the extracting cation and the performance of the extraction methods employed

Comparação de métodos de determinação de carbono orgânico total no solo Comparison of determination methods of total organic carbon in soils

O teor de C orgânico total do solo (COT) pode ser determinado por métodos que se baseiam nos princípios de combustão a seco e combustão úmida. Ambos apresentam inconvenientes, principalmente o de combustão úmida, que exige grande quantidade de reagentes, gerando, por conseqüência, alta quantidade de resíduos tóxicos que contêm Cr. O método denominado Mebius no bloco de digestão (Mebius no bloco) permite a diminuição do uso de dicromato de potássio em análises de solo. Nesse sentido, o presente estudo objetivou verificar a precisão e exatidão do método Mebius no bloco em relação a outros de combustão úmida e o de combustão a seco. O trabalho foi realizado na Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, em duas etapas: os teores de COT foram determinados em 18 amostras de duas camadas (0-5 e 5-10 cm) de um Latossolo Vermelho distrófico típico com diferentes usos. Os métodos usados foram Walkley-Black, Mebius modificado, Mebius no bloco e por captura de CO2; os teores de COT foram determinados por combustão a seco e Mebius no bloco em 75 amostras coletadas nos horizontes A1 (0-7,5 e 7,5-15 cm), A2, E e Bt de um Argissolo Vermelho-Amarelo distrófico abrúptico submetido a cinco sistemas de manejo e três repetições. A precisão apresentada pelos métodos de combustão úmida é similar e com coeficiente de variação abaixo de 10 %, com exceção do método de captura de CO2, que apresentou valores de COT inferiores aos dos demais e com maior coeficiente de variação. O método Mebius no bloco permite processar maior número de amostras por tempo, com menor consumo de reagentes, e seus resultados apresentam boa precisão (coeficiente de variação menor que 2,60 %) entre os métodos de combustão úmida testados. Um fator de correção de 1,14 deverá ser aplicado aos resultados obtidos pelo método Mebius no bloco para equivaler aos obtidos por combustão a seco (analisador elementar de carbono).<br>The total organic carbon (TOC) in soils can be estimated by dry and humid combustion methods. Both have some drawbacks, mainly the humid combustion, which demands high reagent quantities and generates toxic waste containing chromium. The Mebius in Block method was developed to decrease the quantity of Na dichromate used in analyses. The objectives of this study were to verify the precision and accuracy of the Mebius in Block compared with other wet and dry combustion methods. The study was performed in two phases at the Universidade Federal de Santa Maria: (a) TOC contents of 18 soil samples of a Rhodic Ferralsol were determined in the 0-5 and 5-10 cm layers, by different practices. The methods evaluated were Walkley-Black, modified Mebius, Mebius in digestion block, and by CO2 capturing; (b) The TOC contents were determined by Mebius in Block and an elementary analyzer of carbon and nitrogen in 75 samples collected in A1 (0-7.5 and 7.5-15 cm layers), A2, E and Bt horizons of a Rhodic Acrisol with five management practices and three replicates. The data precision of the humid combustion methods was similar, with a coefficient of variation (CV) below 10 %, except for the CO2 capturing method, where the TOC contents were lower, while the variation coefficient was higher. The Mebius-in-block processes a larger number of samples with lower reagent consumption and a greater precision (CV < 2.60 %) than the other methods. A factor of correction of 1.14 should be applied to Mebius-in-Block values for an adjustment to those obtained by dry combustion (elementary analyzer)