Abstract
Pentachlorothioanisole (PCTA), a metabolite of pentachloronitrobenzene (PCNB), was converted to methyl pentachlorophenyl sulfoxide (PCTA-SO) and methyl pentachlorophenyl sulfone (PCTA-SO2) in soil under laboratory conditions. The conversion was hardly observed in autoclaved soil, suggesting participation of microorganisms in the process. The presence of PCTA-SO and PCTA-SO2 was also confirmed in soil from a field plot treated with PCNB and in peanuts harvested from the plot. A trace amount of PCTA-SO was also detected in young corn plants grown in a culture solution containing PCNB.
