Mineralization of atrazine and 2,4-D in soils inoculated with Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Trappea darkeri

Previous studies have shown that Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Trappea darkeri can degrade atrazine (2-chloro-4-[ethylamino]-6[isopropylamino]-s-triazine) and 2,4-D (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid) in vitro. In this study radiometric techniques were used to measure the mineralization of atrazine and 2,4-D during each season in microcosms of forest soil, forest soil amended with wood chips, forest soil with wood chips inoculated with P. crysosporium, and forest soil with wood chips inoculated with T. darkeri. In the winter, atrazine or 2,4-D mineralization did not differ significantly among treatments. In spring, summer, and fall, soil amended with P. chrysosporium mineralized more atrazine than all other treatments, but soil amended with T. darkeri-mineralized less atrazine than soil without amendments. In spring, summer, or fall, soil amended with either P. chrysosporium or T. darkeri mineralized more 2,4-D. Results of this study indicate that adding P. chrysosporium or T. darkeri to riparian forest soils via wood chips may increase the rate of degradation of some aromatic herbicides.