Simulating pesticide transport from a sloped tropical soil to an adjacent stream.

Preferential flow from stream banks is an important component of pesticide transport in the mountainous areas of northern Thailand. Models can help evaluate and interpret field data and help identify the most important transport processes. We developed a simple model to simulate the loss of pesticides from a sloped litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) orchard to an adjacent stream. The water regime was modeled with a two-domain reservoir model, which accounts for rapid preferential flow simultaneously with slow flow processes in the soil matrix. Preferential flow is triggered when the topsoil matrix is saturated or the infiltration capacity exceeded. In addition, close to matrix saturation, rainfall events induce water release to the fractures and lead to desorption of pesticides from fracture walls and outflow to the stream. Pesticides undergo first order degradation and equilibrium sorption to soil matrix and fracture walls. The model was able to reproduce the dynamics of the discharge reasonably well (model efficiency [EF] = 0.56). The cumulative pesticide mass (EF = 0.91) and the pesticide concentration in the stream were slightly underestimated, but the deviation from measurement data is acceptable. Shape and timing of the simulated concentration peaks occurred in the same pattern as observed data. While the effect of surface runoff and preferential interflow on pesticide mass transport could not be absolutely clarified, according to our simulations, most concentration peaks in the stream are caused by preferential interflow pointing to the important role of this flow path in the hilly areas of northern Thailand.

Field aging of insecticides after repeated application to a northern Thailand ultisol.

Field aging immobilizes pollutants and reduces their toxicity, but it also boosts their accumulation and holds the risk of future release. We investigated the aging of six insecticides (water solubilities: 0.33 mg L (-1)-completely miscible) applied five times (10-day intervals) to a tropical fruit orchard under natural weather conditions. After sequential extractions of soil samples with 0.01 M CaCl 2, methanol (MeOH), and acetone/ethylacetate/water (AEW), a conventional ( K OC(app) = [ c(MeOH) + c(AEW)]/ c(CaCl 2), normalized to soil organic carbon) and a newly introduced distribution ratio (MAR = MeOH/AEW ratio; c(MeOH)/ c(AEW)) were calculated. Field half-lives of the insecticides correlated with K OC(app) but not with MAR, which might reflect that dissipation was significantly affected by abiotic processes. The extent of aging was related to hydrophobicity of the compounds and most pronounced for endosulfan (3-fold increase in K OC(app) within 84 days). For dimethoate, this increase was even steeper (5- to 10-fold within 10 days), which was, however, mostly caused by dissipation from labile pools rather than by aging. The K OC(app) of chlorpyrifos remained constant, but a significant decrease in MAR ( r = -0.78) revealed that sorption strength increased nevertheless. Results for malathion were ambiguous. Within the time frame of our study, neither K OC(app) nor MAR gave evidence for the aging of mevinphos. The different dynamics of K OC(app) and MAR for the six insecticides studied indicate that different aging mechanisms or rates, or both control the fate of the individual insecticides, which can potentially be revealed by sequential exctraction procedures.

Micro-trench experiments on interflow and lateral pesticide transport in a sloped soil in northern Thailand.

During recent decades, a change in land use in the mountainous regions of Northern Thailand has been accompanied by an increased input of agrochemicals. We identified lateral water flow and pesticide transport pathways and mechanisms in a Hapludult on a sloped litchi orchard in Northern Thailand. During two rainy seasons, two micro-trench experiments were performed at the plot scale (2 by 3 m). The first experiment was performed at the footslope of the orchard; the second was performed at a midslope position. Two salt tracers (bromide and chloride) and two pesticides {methomyl [S-methyl-N-(methylcarbamoyloxy)thioacetimidate] and chlorothalonil (2,4,5,6-Tetrachlor-1,3-benzdicarbonitril)} were applied in stripes parallel to the slope 150 and 300 cm away from the trench. At the trench, soil water was collected by wick samplers. Tensiometers and time-domain reflectometry probes were installed. At the end of the experiment, soil samples were taken and analyzed for residual concentrations of tracers and pesticides. Lateral subsurface flow of water occurred exclusively along preferential flow paths and was mainly observed at 0- to 30- and 60- to 90-cm depth. Lateral transport of pesticides was negligible, but both pesticides were found beneath the application area at 90 cm depth. Therefore, they may pose a groundwater contamination risk. The amount of wick flow and the location of interflow were mainly a function of rain amount and antecedent soil water suction. During dry periods, water flow was restricted to the topsoil. After heavy rain events and wet periods, interflow was mainly observed in the subsoil. The cumulative rain amount between samplings necessary to induce interflow was 20 mm. At the footslope, the interflow was seven times higher, and the network of water-bearing pores increased compared with the midslope position.