Sorptive Interactions Evaluation of Benomyl Metabolites Mecarzole with the Varyingly Selected Minerals

Abstract

Soil and soil minerals are the primary recipients of different contaminates coming in immediate contact. Agricultural practices which are dominated by use of different agrochemicals have further aggravated the soil quality.  Fungicides, aimed at the extermination, inhibition and growth retardation of fungal species in agricultural crops have been used frequently. Among such fungicides, Benzimidazole based fungicides are of prime significance due to their comparatively improved annihilatory activity. Despite such frequent utilization, the reports on the reception and consequent sorption of Benzimidazole fungicides are scarce. Current work has, for the first time, investigated the interaction of Benzimidazole based fungicide, Mecarzole (metabolite of Benomyl fungicide and also known as Carbendazim) in the selected minerals i.e.  corundum (alumina), silica, muscovite and montmorillonite. The interaction was studied via standard equilibration method established in batches.  Adsorption and desorption of Mecarzole in the selected minerals was evaluated by multilayer Linear and Freundlich model for different parameters i.e.  K_d, K_f, K_fdes and K_des. Linearity was exhibited by the minerals for attachment of Mecarzole. The highest values of K_d (6.93 mL. µg^-1) and K_f (7.99 mL. µg^-1) obtained for muscovite are indicative of the higher affinity of muscovite for Mecarzole in comparison to other three minerals. Excellent adsorption of Mecarzole in muscovite is suggestive of the fact that Mecarzole interacting with muscovite is not a threat towards lower soil profiles since there is a stronger bonding. In contrast to muscovite, Mecarzole poorly adsorbed in alumina represents a threat to soils due to possible percolation of poorly adsorbed Mecarzole molecules.