Adsorption and desorption characteristics of endosulfan in two typical agricultural soils in Southwest China

Endosulfan is an organochlorine pesticide widely used in Southwest China. In this paper, the adsorption and desorption characteristics of endosulfan in two typical agricultural soils (latosol and lateritic red soil) in this area were studied. The results showed that Langmuir isothermal equation could well describe the adsorption thermodynamic characteristics of endosulfan in latosol and lateritic red soil, and the maximum adsorption capacities of alpha-endosulfan were 0.186 and 0.209 mg/g, while those of beta-endosulfan were 0.140 and 0.148 mg/g, respectively. Endosulfan adsorption in the two soils was an exothermic physicochemical process, but dominated by physical process. The adsorption kinetic characteristics of endosulfan in the two soils could be well described by second-order kinetic equation, and the initial rate constants were 0.228 and 0.325 mg/(g min) for alpha-endosulfan, while those were 0.119 and 0.125 mg/(g min) for beta-endosulfan, respectively. The adsorbed endosulfan in the two soils was difficult to be desorbed into the liquid phase, and showed weak desorption hysteresis. These results implied that endosulfan could be firmly adsorbed by the two soils, and their adsorption and desorption abilities may be related to the contents of soil clay and organic matter.