Adsorption–Desorption Behaviour of Imidacloprid, Thiamethoxam, and Clothianidin in Different Agricultural Soils

Gabriela Briceño (), Graciela Palma, Heidi Schalchli, Paola Durán, Cesar Llafquén, Andrés Huenchupán, Carlos Rodríguez-Rodríguez and María Cristina Diez
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Gabriela Briceño: Departamento de Ciencias Químicas y Recursos Naturales, Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Universidad de La Frontera, Av. Francisco Salazar 01145, Temuco 4780000, Chile
Graciela Palma: Departamento de Ciencias Químicas y Recursos Naturales, Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Universidad de La Frontera, Av. Francisco Salazar 01145, Temuco 4780000, Chile
Heidi Schalchli: Departamento de Ciencias Químicas y Recursos Naturales, Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Universidad de La Frontera, Av. Francisco Salazar 01145, Temuco 4780000, Chile
Paola Durán: Departamento de Producción Agropecuaria, Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias y Medio Ambiente, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4780000, Chile
Cesar Llafquén: Centro de Excelencia en Investigación Biotecnológica Aplicada al Medio Ambiente (CIBAMA-BIOREN), Universidad de La Frontera, Av. Francisco Salazar 01145, Temuco 4780000, Chile
Andrés Huenchupán: Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias de Recursos Naturales, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4780000, Chile
Carlos Rodríguez-Rodríguez: Centro de Investigación en Contaminación Ambiental (CICA), Universidad de Costa Rica, Montes de Oca, San José 11501-2060, Costa Rica
María Cristina Diez: Centro de Excelencia en Investigación Biotecnológica Aplicada al Medio Ambiente (CIBAMA-BIOREN), Universidad de La Frontera, Av. Francisco Salazar 01145, Temuco 4780000, Chile

Agriculture, 2025, vol. 15, issue 13, 1-17

Abstract: This study evaluated the adsorption and desorption of imidacloprid (IMI), thiamethoxam (THM) and clothianidin (CLO) in an andisol (Freire soil) and an inceptisol (Chufquén soil) from southern Chile with different organic matter and clay contents. The soils had a slightly acidic pH and clay and clay-loam textures. The tests were carried out at 20 °C with CaCl 2 0.01 M as the electrolyte. Kinetic experiments were performed and isotherms were fitted to the pseudo-second-order, Elovich, Weber–Morris, Freundlich and Langmuir models. The kinetics were best described by the pseudo-second-order model (R 2 > 0.99), indicating chemisorption; the rate was the highest for THM, although IMI and CLO achieved the highest retention capacities. The Chufquén samples, with lower organic matter but 52% clay, exhibited the highest K f and q m of up to 12.4 and 270 mg kg −1 , respectively, while the K d (2.3–6.9 L kg −1 ) and K oc (24–167 L kg −1 ) coefficients revealed a moderate leaching risk. THM was the most mobile compound due to its high solubility. Desorption was partially irreversible (H = 0.48–1.48), indicating persistence in soil. FTIR analysis confirmed the interaction with O-Al-O/O-O-Si-O groups without alterations in the mineral structure. In the soils examined in this study, the clay fraction and variable-charge minerals, rather than organic matter, were more closely associated with the adsorption behaviour of these NNIs.

Keywords: pesticides; kinetic models; neonicotinoids; organic soils; andisol; inceptisol (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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