Browsing by Author "Natai, Roland Elisamia"

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Physico-chemical and biological properties of atrazine in soils
(Sokoine University of Agriculture, 1993) Natai, Roland Elisamia
The physico-chemical and biological properties of atrazine (2-chloro-4- ethylamino-6-isopropylamino-s-triazine) in soils were laboratory. investigated in the The batch suspension method was used to study the adsorption desorption properties of atrazine. The results revealed that the amount of atrazine adsorbed or desorbed varies with the soil properties. The adsorption data fitted the Freundlich model. Freundlich "K" values describing the adsorptive capacities of the soils varied with the inherent soil properties. Over 70% of the adsorbed atrazine was found to be desorbed after five desorption cycles. Microbial numbers were determined by dilution plate count technique, and the microbial processes by measuring the final products of the transformations carried out by the test organisms. All the test organisms in this study (i.e total bacteria, Azotobacter, Beijerinckia and nitrifiers) were tolerant to atrazine at the concentrations tested. The population and the activities of these organisms were only slightly and temporarily affected. The practical implications of these findings are discussed.