Degradation and Leaching of Acrylamide in Soil

Abstract

AbstractSince some uses of acrylamide could cause ground water contamination, potential hazards were assessed by evaluating the degradation and leaching of 14C‐acrylamide (labelled at the carboxyl position) in four soils: silt loam, clay loam, loamy fine sand, and loam. The soil degradation study utilized the biometer flask method. Acrylamide half‐life (t1/2) was estimated by the time required for release of one‐half the evolved 14CO2. Half‐life was influenced by incubation temperature, acrylamide concentration, and the season at which the soil was collected. At ambient temperature (22°C), half‐lives ranged from 18 to 45 hours for 25 ppm acrylamide (on a soil basis). Decreasing temperature or increasing acrylamide concentration increased half‐life. Half‐life was two and one‐half times greater in soil gathered in spring than the same soil gathered in summer. When acrylamide was incubated in anaerobically maintained soil, it apparently metabolized more slowly. Leaching was evaluated by soil TLC. Rf values, which ranged from 0.64 to 0.88, place acrylamide into the “mobile class.”