Transfer of atrazine degradation capability to mineralize aged ¹⁴C-labeled atrazine residues in soils.

The degradation of environmentally long-term aged (22 years) ¹⁴C-labeled atrazine residues in soil stimulated by inoculation with atrazine-adapted soil from Belgium, the United States (U.S.), and Brazil at two different moisture regimes (50% WHCmax/slurried conditions) was evaluated. Inoculation of the soil containing the aged ¹⁴C-labeled atrazine residues with 5, 50, and 100% (w/w) Belgian, U.S., or Brazilian atrazine-adapted soil increased ¹⁴C-atrazine residue mineralization by a factor of 3.1-13.9, depending upon the amount of atrazine-adapted soil inocula and the moisture conditions. Aged ¹⁴C-atrazine residue mineralization varied between 2 and 8% for Belgian and between 1 and 2% for U.S. and Brazilian soil inoculum at 50% WHCmax but was increased under slurried conditions, accounting for 8-10% (Belgian soil), 2-7% (Brazilian soil), and 3% (American soil). The results show that an increased degradation of long-term aged ¹⁴C-labeled atrazine residues is possible by the transfer of atrazine-adapted soil microflora from different soils and regions to non-adapted soil.