-Pesticide degradation studies are essential to evaluate its impact in the environment and on non-target organisms. The effect of repeated soil applications of the herbicide glyphosate on its dissipation and on soil microorganisms was studied by radiometric and microbial techniques. Results indicated fast dissipation of the [ 14 C]-glyphosate or [ 14 C]metabolites extractable residues (half-life of 0.92±0.29 month), but increasing half-lives of total mineralization ranging from 2.2 to 3.4 months as the number of applications increased from 1 to 4. No significant correlation was found between 14 CO 2 production and dehydrogenase activity.Index terms: pesticide residues, mineralization, dehydrogenases, soil treatment. Influência de repetidas aplicações de glifosato na sua persistência e na bioatividade do soloResumo -Estudos sobre degradação de pesticidas são essenciais à avaliação do impacto que causam no ambiente e em organismos não-alvo. Avaliou-se o efeito de repetidas aplicações do herbicida glifosato em solo na sua dissipação e em microrganismos do solo, por técnicas radiométricas e microbianas. Os resultados indicaram dissipação rápida dos resíduos extraíveis de glifosato marcado com 14 C ou de metabólitos contendo 14 C (meia-vida de 0,92±0,29 mês), mas meia-vida crescente de 2,2 a 3,4 meses para mineralização total, de acordo com o aumento de 1 a 4 aplicações. Não foi encontrada correlação estatisticamente significativa entre a atividade da desidrogenase e a produção de 14 CO 2 .Termos para indexação: resíduo de pesticida, mineralização, desidrogenase, tratamento do solo.

The soil oxidative and anaerobic processes, as well as, the microbial biomass were followed during three years in a cotton farm (Tatuí) where the recommended pesticides have been used for several years, and in an experimental field (São Paulo) treated first time with the same pesticides. The oxidative process was monitored by the dehydrogenase (DHA)-activity using triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) as substrate. The anaerobic process was followed by the iron-oxide reduction, and the microbial biomass was estimated by the substrate (glucose)-indiced respiration. Increases in DHA-activity and in the microbial biomass occurred only in the farm soil, with concomitant decreases in iron-reduction. In the experimental field soil, the increases in DHA-activity were followed only by decreases in iron-reduction. Soil characteristics were the determining factor for different biological parameters after pesticide inputs. All the pesticides produced at least one clear but transient effect.

This paper reports on the residues of methyl parathion (O,O-dimethyl O-4-nitrophenyl phosphorothioate), trifluralin (alpha, alpha, alpha-trifluoro-2,6-dinitro-N,N-dipropyl-p-toluidine), endosulfan [(1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 7-hexachloro-8, 9, 10-trinorborn-5-en-2, 3-ylenebismethylene) sulfite] and dimethoate (O, O-dimethyl S-methylcarbamoylmethyl phosphorodithioate) in a cotton crop soil. Soil samples (0-15 cm) were collected at different periods from the cotton crop farm and subjected to Soxhlet extraction. The extracted material was analysed after clean-up by a HP5890 II gas chromatograph equipped with a 63Ni electron-capture detector (ECD-63Ni) and fitted with a 25 m x 0.2 mm i.d. fused silica capillary column [Ultra-2 (5% phenylmethyl polysiloxane)]. The recoveries of the pesticide residues from the spiked control soil were determined after Soxhlet extraction and C18 cartridges clean-up by using radiotracer techniques with the corresponding 14C-pesticides. The results show that in the cotton crop soil the pesticide residues under study were present in the range of 0.1 to 0.4 mg.kg-1. Endosulfan was found to be rapidly degraded in the soil and formed a sulfate metabolite.