Effects of light, microorganisms, farming chemicals and water content on the degradation of microcystin-LR in agricultural soils

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of farming activities on microcystin-LR (MC-LR) degradation in soils. Three farming activities were assessed: 1) fertilization via addition of different nitrogen sources and organic matter; 2) pesticide application by addition of different commercial pesticides; and 3) irrigation by addition of different amount of water. The contribution of the two major degradation processes of MC-LR in soils, photodegradation and biodegradation, were also evaluated. MC-LR was added into the soil samples to create a concentration of 500 mu g kg(-1) for each treatment. Results showed that natural degradation of MC-LR in soils was mainly by biodegradation rather than photodegradation. MC-degradation was stimulated by the addition of NaNO3 and humic acid, whereas degradation was inhibited by addition of NH4Cl, glucose, and glycine. Application of high concentrations of glyphosate and chlorothalonil significantly inhibited the degradation of MC-LR in soils and the half-life was almost twice as long as the control. No significant effect was found by addition of CO(NH2)(2) and dimethoate. Both low (10%) and high water content (60%) could lead to inhibition of MC-LR degradation. Results from our study help to inform farm practices that could alleviate contamination by MC-LR in agroecosystems.