Effect of halomethyl-1,3,5-triazines on nitrification of ammonia

Abstract

Nitrification inhibitory activity of halomethyl-1,3,5-triazines was determined by measuring the inhibitory activities on ammonia-oxidation to nitrate (NO 3 - -N) in an upland soil and on ammonia-oxidation to nitrite (NO 2 - -N) by Nitrosomonas europaea ATCC 25978 (ATCC) and Nitrosomonas sp TK 794 (TK). Within the chlorinated trimethyl-1,3,5-triazines, those bearing at least one trichloromethyl group inhibited nitrification more strongly, both in soil and in cell suspension of ATCC, than other mono- or dichlorinated methyl-1,3,5-triazines. Introduction of an amino group to 2,4,6-tris(trichloromethyl)-1,3,5-triazine gave 10- and 100-fold increases of nitrification inhibitory activity in soil and ATCC cell culture, respectively. Within the trihalomethyl-1,3,5-triazines, those having tribromomethyl group(s) exhibited rather weaker nitrification inhibition in soil than the corresponding trichloromethyl-1,3,5-triazines, although they showed a strong inhibition in cell suspension. Ammonium oxidation in ATCC was inhibited more strongly than that in TK. In QSAR studies, the optimum log P values were calculated as c4.30. By using this value it will become possible to design highly active trichloromethyl-1,3,5-triazine nitrification inhibitors.