The Fate of Disulfoton in Soil

Abstract

Studies were conducted to determine the hydrolysis, oxidation and persistence of disulfoton in upland silt loam autoclaved and non-autoclaved, sandy loam, sand, and in paddy soil. Insecticide residues were extracted with acetone and determined by gas liquid chromatography with flame thermionic detector. Disulfoton persisted in field soils as oxidative analogs. They were disulfoton sulfoxide and sulfone, but its oxygen analogs were slightly detected. They still had insecticidal activities. The rates of disulfoton oxidized to its oxygen analogs were a little higher in the paddy soil than in upland soil. It is suggested that this oxidation is somewhat caused by soil microorganisms. Disulfoton was translocated from the applied level to upper and lower level in soil and detected as the oxidative analogs.