EDAFOLOGÍA, VOL 15. (1,1 2, 3), PP 129-134 208


EFECTOS DEL MANEJO HORTÍCOLA INTENSIVO EN LOS NIVELES, DISTRIBUCIÓN Y DISIPACIÓN DE LINDANO EN SUELOS Y PLANTAS DE UNA REGIÓN SEMIÁRIDA (ARGENTINA)

E.F. COVELO; F.A. VEGA; M.L. ANDRADE

Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ciencia del Suelo. Las Lagoas. Marcosende. 36310 Vigo. España. e-mail: mandrade@uvigo.es


 

ABSTRACT

We checked if soils under intensive horticultural use for several decades show the effects of the input of pesticides containing lindane, and the levels in plants attacked by a plague. For this purpose, we have analyzed the lindane content in soils from 44 sites (located in the Bahía Blanca horticultural area, Argentina), at different depths (0-5, 5-10 and 10-20 cm), with different age in horticultural management, as well as plants grown in these soils that were sprayed with pesticides before the attack a pest. Results indicate high concentrations (between 59 and 1590 μg g-1), especially in the surface layer of soils studied, as well as those whose horticultural use is more recent.
For all studied soils, negative correlation has been established between the lindane content, the age of the horticultural use, the organic matter content and pH. However, in the deeper layers that content is correlated, and positively, only with the age of horticultural use. These relationships indicate that lindane is immobilized in semi-arid conditions, and is adsorbed on soil organic matter.
The leaves of Beta vulgaris, L., sampled in these soils and in supermarkets supplied by farmers from the area, contain high amounts of lindane (reaching up to 15 μg g-1); although the lindane dissipation curves in them indicate that it disappears after 6 days of making the input of pesticides, indicating the minimum security before marketing.


Key words: lindane, horticultural soils, plants, dissipation curves.