Glyphosate and AMPA concentrations in wind-blown material under field conditions.

APARICIO, VIRGINIA C.; AIMAR, SILVIA; DE GERÓNIMO, EDUARDO; MENDEZ, MARIANO J.; COSTA, JOSÉ L.

LAND DEGRADATION & DEVELOPMENT

JOHN WILEY & SONS LTD

Año: 2018

1085-3278

Agricultural intensification in fragile arid and semiarid environments has led to an increase in soildegradation, mainly through wind erosion. Argentina is an agricultural and cattle‐farming country,which has increased its productivity in the last few decades, widening the boundaries of farm landand the use of herbicides to control weeds. Glyphosate, which accounts for 65% of theArgentinian pesticides market, is strongly retained in soil. The World Health Organization concludedthat there was evidence to classify glyphosate as ?probably carcinogenic to humans.? In thiscontext, the objective of this study was to determine the presence and concentration of glyphosateand aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) in wind‐blown material in 3 areas in Argentinesemiarid regions (Chaco, La Pampa, and San Luis). In 1‐ha2 plots, left uncovered and levelled,the wind‐blown material was collected at heights of 13.5, 50, and 150 cm during 18 erosionevents. The wind‐blown material carried by the wind at a height of 150 cm had concentrationsof 247 and 218 μg kg−1 of glyphosate and AMPA, respectively. This material was enriched 60times in glyphosate and 3 times in AMPA as compared with the original soil. This shows thatthe eroded material can, potentially, have a negative impact on the ecosystem and also on humanhealth, depending on the proportion of this material released into the atmosphere in suspensionas particulate matter. This study is, to our knowledge, the first to report concentrations of glyphosateand AMPA in wind‐blown material under field conditions.