The persistence of the y isomer of benzene hexachloride (lindane), when added to submerged tropical soils at a rate approximately three times that recommended for the protection of rice from stem borer infestation and of the a, ß, and isomers of benzene hexachloride applied at similar rates was between 70 and 90 days. Losses of all four isomers from sterilized, flooded soil samples were much slower than from nonsterilized samples, indicating that the microflora of submerged soils is able to degrade benzene hexachloride. Microbial degradation of -BHC was demonstrated by the release of C140> from submerged soils treated with C14-labeled -BHC. An application of -BHC at a rate approximately five times the usual field rate apparently inhibited CCL evolution from two tropical soils.

EPTC, amitrole, amiben, and ipazine are degraded by the microflora of soil. CI4O2was not released microbiologically from soil receiving tagged propazine, atrazine, or simazine. The susceptibility of chlorobenzoates to decomposition is related to the number of chlorines on the aromatic ring. A technique for determining the ability of a specific soil population acting on one aromatic herbicide to destroy a structurally related compound is described, and the method is used to show that a 2,4-D-metabolizing

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