Hydrolysis kinetics of the sulfonylurea herbicide Sulfosulfuron

The kinetics of hydrolytic degradation of Sulfosulfuron was investigated to predict the fate of the herbicide in an aqueous environment. The study revealed that the hydrolytic degradation of Sulfosulfuron followed first-order kinetics. The degradation of the herbicide was dependent on pH and temperature. Hydrolysis rate was faster in acidic condition (t _1/2 = 9.24 d at pH 4.0) than alkaline environment (t _1/2 = 14.14 d at pH 9.2). Several fold increase in the degradation rate was found when temperature was increased from 10 ± 1°C (t _1/2 = 518 h) to 50 ± 1°C (t _1/2 = 10 h). Activation energy (E _a) was also calculated as 63.87 KJ mol^?1, which is required for the hydrolytic degradation of the molecule. Both media pH and temperature effects were coupled together and derived a complex equation to estimate the overall effect of these two abiotic factors. The major degradation mechanism of the compound was the breaking of the sulfonylurea bridge yielding corresponding sulfonamide and aminopyrimidine. The possible significance of the results to persistence of the herbicide in the field condition is discussed.