STUDY ON EFFECT OF SURFACTANTS ON DEGRADATION OF FENOBUCARB IN SOIL

Abstract

Surfactants effect on the action of insecticides in the soil. Due to their special properties, anionic and
nonionic surfactants can enhance water solubility and soil biological activity. Domestic wastewater
contains suspended particular, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), surfactants, organic acids which can
affect decomposition of pesticides. Decomposition kinetics of fenobucarb in the water system under the
influence of surfactants sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) at concentration of 1cmc has been studied.
Surfactants enhance elution from soil. The desorption amount of fenobucarb in water increased rapidly
in the first 2 hours with elution efficiency of 71%. Then the release efficiency of fenobucarb decreased
rapidly to 32% in 96 hours and decreased gradually to 29% in 120 hours. The persistent
disappearance of fenobucarb over the experimental period indicates that fenobucarb-adapted
microorganisms are capable of degrading fenobucarb in the soil-water system. There is also the
possibility that the SDS surfactant increases the rate of release and absorption and thus more
substrates are continuously fed to them as they metabolize fenobucarb.