Gas chromatographic method for studying the rate of photodegradation of some nitrogen-containing pesticides

Summary The photodegradation behaviour of 12 nitrogen-containing herbicides (atrazine, cyanazine, terbuthylazine, terbutryn, EPTC, buthylate, molinate, cycloate, vernolate, fenuron, chloroxuron, and methabenzthiazuron) has been examined. The compounds were degraded completely when exposed to a mercury-vapour lamp; the degradation process was followed by consecutive GC measurements. All the compounds studied had measurable photochemical activity, although actual and average degradation rates varied significantly. All the compounds except terbutryn furnished more than one major degradation product, in different ratios. Presented at Balaton Symposium '01 on High-Performance Separation Methods, Siófok, Hungary, September 2–4, 2001