Abstract
Contamination of the environment by glyphosate (GLP) and its metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) is still of major concern worldwide due to specific interactions among these molecules and soil and water. Two monitoring sites were established in the Prosecco wine production area (Conegliano and Valdobbiadene) in northeastern Italy, which has been included in UNESCO’s World Heritage List since 2019. The study aims to increase the knowledge about GLP dynamics in this area where it has been intensively used by farmers and the potential risk for groundwater pollution is still debated. Each site was equipped with two soil-water monitoring stations consisting of multisensor soil probes and suction cups at three soil depths (10, 30, and 70 cm). Soil and water were sampled for 10 and 6 months, respectively, and analyzed for GLP and AMPA concentrations, for a total of 242 samples to describe their vertical movement and dissipation dynamics. Soil properties, in particular, the different forms of Fe and Al oxide contents, and Freundlich adsorption coefficients were quantified along the soil profile. First attempts showed that glyphosate dissipation time was 36 ± 8 days in Conegliano and Valdobbiadene soils and fully completed in both after 6 months. In contrast, AMPA dissipation dynamic —first described by an original equation—was longer than that of GLP and fully dissipated after almost 300 days. GLP showed a strong binding affinity with clay and Fe and Al chelated to soil organic matter, which likely acted as cation bridges and in turn led to low GLP mobility. GLP and AMPA were mostly detected after heavy rainfall events at 70 cm depth, likely bypassing the porous matrix of the intermediate layers.
Introduction
Glyphosate (GLP) is one of the most-used broad-spectrum, systemic, and postemergence herbicides worldwide, with sales estimates of about 825,804 tons in 2014—of which 90% was used by the agricultural sector ()—and expected 6.5% annual sales growth between 2016 and 2024 (). In agricultural lands, GLP-based agrochemicals are sprayed mainly before planting the crop or postharvest during the intercropping period to control weeds’ growth. Glyphosate may also be used in preharvest on cereal, oilseed, and pulse crops to aid harvesting and protect grain quality. Crops treated annually with GLP are annual (e.g., cereals and oilseeds) and perennial crops, like orchards and vineyards ().
GLP is usually considered to have reduced mobility in soil due to its high affinity with clay minerals, soil oxides, and hydroxides (). As a polyprotic acid, its charge depends on soil pH resulting in complex sorption equilibrium dynamics. GLP commonly occurs as an anion, and for this reason it can only be sorbed onto variable-charge sites (e.g., Al and Fe oxides and 1:1 layer silicate clays in acidic soils). Moreover, its molecular structure makes interaction with soil organic matter (SOM) controversial compared to most nonpolar pesticides due to 1) dominating repulsive forces between negatively charged molecules—GLP and SOM components and 2) blocking effect of SOM on other sorption sites that can lead to low GLP adsorption (). Conversely, the SOM propensity to promote poorly ordered Al and Fe might increase the soil sorption capacity of GLP (), although this has been little studied so far and deserves attention, especially because it is strongly influenced by site-specific conditions. Furthermore, the presence of phosphate in the soil might worsen the sorption capacity of the molecule by competing with bonding sites on Al-OH and Fe-OH surfaces (). At the same time, GLP could be sorbed on phosphates through a metal cation bond (Al3+ and Fe3+, or Ca2+and Mg2+) as suggested by some authors (; ). Glyphosate adsorption in the soil is usually described by a nonlinear Freundlich sorption isotherm, where the sorption coefficient (Kf) values can range from 0.6 to 700 (; ), depending on soil-specific characteristics. The main metabolite of GLP, aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), is also characterized by high adsorption, depending on soil pH, Al and Fe oxide contents, and available phosphorus and carbonate content.
The low mobility of GLP and AMPA should exclude the potential risk of leaching to groundwater (). However, large discrepancies exist in the literature about their transfer toward water. Indeed, GLP and AMPA are frequently detected not only in surface waters, e.g., transported in runoff or by erosion processes, but also in groundwater, increasing concerns about GLP use in agriculture as in urban areas or railways and raising questions on the driving factors that lead to contamination of the surface and belowground aquatic environment (). Furthermore, the high GLP and AMPA solubility in water (11.6 and 1466.5 g l−1, respectively) (Pesticide Property DataBase by IUPAC, ) increases the risk of being transported in the aqueous phase. Studies investigating GLP mobility reported that leaching may occur (; ) under specific conditions, e.g., through macropore- or crack-mediated preferential flow pathways. The leachability of GLP could also be aggravated in soils that are phosphate-saturated or after phosphate addition to soil (). Moreover, some studies emphasized that GLP could be released by root exudation when target plants start to decompose, bypassing the rootzone (; ; Viti et al., 2019).
The persistence of GLP in the soil environment is mainly influenced by the microbiota (), as well as by different soil conditions—such as water content, temperature, and particle size distribution (). It follows that site-specific conditions can strongly affect GLP persistence, the dissipation half-life in soils (DT50) being of the order of 1.5–50 days (; ) up to 8 months (). The persistence, in addition to mobility and leaching, is particularly important for areas where GLP is broadly used, as recently reported by . Its use in vineyards is one of the major concerns in the Prosecco wine production area in northeastern Italy, which has been included (since July 2019) in UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Here, GLP has been used for decades and its application is still debated, mainly by the local population and authorities due to sporadic GLP findings in groundwaters (). Therefore, in 2019, the Prosecco Conegliano–Valdobbiadene DOCG consortium decided to ban the use of GLP by encouraging alternative vineyard management, such as the use of mechanical mowing (). However, scarce information is available on GLP and AMPA behavior in these soils. It is therefore imperative to understand how these molecules move, bind, and degrade in the Prosecco area to improve their utilization for weed control.
The aims of this study were therefore 1) to understand the site-specific GLP adsorption, dissipation, and propensity to leaching in two different agricultural soils and 2) to identify the driving factors leading to specific soil–water-contaminant interactions in the wine-growing terroir of the Prosecco wine production.
Materials and methods
Experimental site description and field setup
The study was conducted in two experimental sites located in Conegliano and Valdobbiadene municipalities (NE Italy, Figure 1), 35 km apart, which are included in a vast foothill and hilly agricultural area of extensive vineyard cultivations. The study area is part of the wine-growing terroir of the DOCG Prosecco wine, which includes 15 municipalities (about 18,000 ha). The experimental sites, already included in a wider network of monitored sites within a project on drinking groundwater quality monitoring and protection (; Zovi et al., 2017), were selected due to their location near catchment wells used for drinking water purposes. It should be noted that no GLP-based herbicides were used in the two experimental sites at least 3 years prior to our study.
FIGURE 1
The Conegliano site (45° 53.999′N, 12° 17.732′E) (Figure 1, 66 m a.s.l.) falls within a flat grassed vineyard, 1.8 ha in size, close to the Monticano river. The climate is subhumid, with a mean annual temperature of 14.2°C, ranging between a mean minimum of 1.2°C and a mean maximum of 29.5°C in January and July, respectively, and annual rainfall of 1200 mm distributed uniformly throughout the year (1994–2019 data time series;
TABLE 1
| Monitoring | Layer | Particle size distribution % | SOC | Total N | P Olsen | pH | EC | CEC | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| station | cm | Sand | Silt | Clay | g kg−1 | g kg−1 | mg kg−1 | mS cm−1 | meq 100g−1 | |
| CE | 0–15 | 32.2 | 52.2 | 15.6 | 16.4 | 2.1 | 12.5 | 8.51 | 0.30 | 19.9 |
| 15–40 | 33.2 | 49.5 | 17.2 | 9.5 | 1.3 | 11.7 | 8.38 | 0.21 | 15.7 | |
| 40–70 | 31.9 | 47.3 | 20.8 | 7.2 | 0.9 | 6.8 | 8.24 | 0.23 | 17.7 | |
| CO | 0–15 | 37.2 | 47.8 | 15.0 | 12.5 | 1.6 | 10.7 | 8.29 | 0.24 | 15.3 |
| 15–40 | 38.5 | 44.7 | 16.8 | 9.6 | 1.2 | 6.6 | 8.43 | 0.21 | 15.0 | |
| 40–70 | 43.5 | 38.0 | 18.5 | 6.3 | 0.5 | 2.6 | 8.71 | 0.16 | 11.1 | |
| VS | 0–15 | 46.6 | 41.2 | 12.2 | 16.3 | 1.9 | 22.0 | 8.45 | 0.21 | 14.6 |
| 15–40 | 48.3 | 36.7 | 14.9 | 8.0 | 0.8 | 18.6 | 8.49 | 0.15 | 10.4 | |
| 40–50 | 51.5 | 33.3 | 15.2 | 5.8 | 0.5 | 2.9 | 8.50 | 0.14 | 9.7 | |
| VN | 0–15 | 53.7 | 34.1 | 12.2 | 12.4 | 1.4 | 15.9 | 8.34 | 0.22 | 11.7 |
| 15–40 | 48.4 | 36.6 | 15.0 | 6.1 | 0.7 | 17.6 | 8.41 | 0.14 | 8.8 | |
| 40–50 | 46.0 | 37.6 | 16.4 | 6.4 | 0.4 | 6.5 | 8.36 | 0.13 | 9.4 | |
Soil chemical properties at the four monitoring stations as a function of depth. SOC refers to soil organic carbon (g kg−1), Total N is total nitrogen (g kg−1), P Olsen is available phosphorus (mg kg−1), EC is electrical conductivity (mS cm−1), and CEC is cation exchange capacity (meq 100 g−1).
Two soil-water monitoring stations of 25 m2 size each were set up on each site during September 2018, hereafter referred to as CE and CO for Conegliano (inter-row grass vineyard) and VS and VN for Valdobbiadene (grassland) (Figure 1). Each experimental site was equipped with a weather station that recorded air temperature, relative humidity, solar irradiance, wind speed, and rainfall every 5 min (HD35EDLM.E, DeltaOhm, Padova, Italy). Multisensor probes—soil temperature (T, °C) and soil water content (SWC, m3 m−3) (HD3910.1, DeltaOhm, Padova, Italy)—and suction cups (SPE20 pore water sampler, METER Group AG München) were installed at 10, 30, and 70 cm depth in the four monitoring stations. The multisensor probes were set to collect data at hourly intervals. Prior to field installation, the soil moisture sensors, operating with frequency domain reflectometry technology, were calibrated in the laboratory to an accuracy of ±3%. The pore water samplers had a porous polyethylene-nylon cup whose interaction with GLP (i.e., adsorption), tested in the laboratory before field installation (Supplementary Figure 1S), was not significant. Due to the presence of the gravel bed below 50 cm depth in Valdobbiadene and the consequent poor functioning of the suction cups, two pan lysimeters were installed at 70 cm depth to collect the leachate.
Characterization of soil profiles
A hydraulic sampler was used to collect undisturbed soil cores in two random positions in each monitoring station down to 70 cm at Conegliano and 50 cm at Valdobbiadene before the experiment. A tractor-mounted double-cylinder core sampler (5 cm diameter) was used for sampling, to reduce soil compaction by slowly drilling soil layers with parallel cutting edges (
Determination of Al and Fe oxides in soil
Mineralogical iron (Fe) and aluminum (Al) oxides were measured along the soil profiles at 0–15, 15–40, and 40–70 cm for Conegliano and 0–15, 15–40, and 40–50 cm for Valdobbiadene. Two methods were applied to determine 1) poorly ordered Al and Fe oxides (oxalate-extractable, hereafter labeled as AlOx and FeOx, respectively ) and 2) soil organic matter-chelated Al and Fe (sodium pyrophosphate-extractable, hereafter labeled as AlSom and FeSom , respectively).
Poorly ordered Al and Fe oxides, also called “amorphous”, were determined using the ammonium oxalate in darkness extraction method as reported by
Adsorption isotherms of glyphosate
A batch adsorption experiment was performed following the OECD guideline using the batch equilibrium method (
Adsorption data were fitted to the Freundlich adsorption isotherm model by nonlinear optimization:where Cs (μg g−1) is the amount of GLP adsorbed into the soil, Cw (μg ml−1) is the concentration of GLP in the aqueous phase, Kf [μg1–1/n (ml)1/n g−1] is the Freundlich adsorption coefficient, and 1/n is the regression constant or measure of nonlinearity. To compute the unknown empirical coefficient, the least square method was applied. Moreover, to compare Kf among sites and depths, the depth-averaged 1/n coefficient was calculated and used as a fixed value to fit experimental data using the Freundlich equation as already proposed in other studies (
Glyphosate application in the field
Glyphosate was distributed on the four 25 m2 vegetated monitoring stations during autumn 2018, on November 14 in VS and VN and on November 21 in CO and CE. A solution of Chikara Duo (BELCHIM Crop Protection, Milan, Italy), containing 28.8% of glyphosate acid and 0.67% of flazasulfuron, was sprayed on grassy soil at a pressure of 2.5 atm using a multiple nozzle system at an average rate of 1.88 kg a. i. ha−1 (water volume = 380 L ha−1), which represents the ordinary dose applied in Europe (
Soil water sample collection and analytical quantification of glyphosate and AMPA in water
Soil water samples were collected with suction cups and pan lysimeters the day after GLP distribution and at every rainfall event for 6 months (November 2018–May 2019). Pore-water samples, extracted by applying negative pressure (−0.55 bar) overnight with a portable vacuum pump (Vacuporter, Vacuum Case, UMS GmbH München), were collected in 1000 ml high-density polyethylene bottles (Nalgene™, Thermo Scientific, Waltham, Massachusetts, United States), transported to the laboratory where they were stored for a maximum of one week in a refrigerator (+4°C) (
Soil sample collection and quantification of glyphosate and AMPA concentrations in soil
Soil samples were collected within 12 h from GLP application, then after one month, and afterward at increasing time intervals, until September 2019 for a total of ten months. The average sampling frequency was one per month. Sampling was performed on two randomly selected points within each treated plot at four different depths: in both sites at 0–5, 5–20, 20–40 cm, plus 40–70 cm in CE and CO and 40–50 cm in VS and VN. The two subsamples were then bulked at each depth to obtain a sample of about 0.4 kg. Once collected in plastic bags and placed in a refrigerated box, the soils were carried within an hour to the laboratory where they were air-dried (20°C) and sieved within one day. The samples were then stored in the dark before analysis (
Glyphosate dissipation and AMPA formation dynamics
Residual soil glyphosate concentrations over time were used to fit a single first-order (SFO) exponential decay equation through a least square fitting procedure as follows:where Ct (µg kg−1) is the residual concentration of GLP at time t (day), C0 (µg kg−1) is the initial concentration of GLP in the first sampling, and k is the first-order rate coefficient (day−1).
The formation–dissipation AMPA dynamics was described using the following modified equation based on that proposed by Otto et al. (1997):where is the concentration of AMPA at time t, is the concentration of the parent molecule that is transformable into the metabolite (µg kg−1) at the time of distribution (t0), is the observed initial concentration of the parent molecule (µg kg−1) at the first sampling time, is the first-order rate coefficient for the degradation of GLP (d−1), and is the coefficient that regulates AMPA dissipation (d−1). The stoichiometric factor 0.66, which is the ratio of the molecular weights of GLP and AMPA, was used to convert the mass of the parent into a metabolite. The time of maximum occurrence of AMPA in soil (tmax, days) was calculated using Eq. 4 reported by Otto et al. (1997).
To estimate the dissipation time (DT50), soils from the two monitoring stations within each site (Conegliano and Valdobbiadene) were used as replicates.
Relationship between soil properties and sorption parameters and data analysis
To study the possible relationship between GLP sorption coefficient and soil properties, a correlation matrix was performed to obtain Pearson correlation coefficients between parameters (N = 13). Moreover, a backward stepwise multiple linear regression analysis (Y = β + β1X1 + β2X2 + ... + βkXk) was performed to identify the soils’ physical and chemical properties (clay, SOC, CEC, FeOx + AlOx, and FeSom + AlSom), which most affected GLP adsorption. Statistical analyses were performed using R software (
Groundwater leachability index: The attenuation factor
The attenuation factor (AF), as proposed by Rao et al. (1985), is an index used to estimate the fraction of a molecule that could reach the groundwater table. The AF was calculated as follows:where D is the minimum groundwater depth (m) set as the maximum monitored soil depth (70 cm), RF is the retardation factor, is the volumetric water content at field capacity (%), q is the groundwater net recharge rate (m year−1), and DT50 is the dissipation time (year) calculated as follows:where k is the rate dissipation constant calculated applying Eq. 2.
The simplified RF, which does not account for GLP volatilization (due to its low vapor pressure), is defined in Eq. 7:where BD (soil bulk density) is expressed as kg m−3; Koc as m3 kg−1, which is calculated as the ratio between Kf and SOC; and the SOC as a percentage value.
The net recharge rate (q) during the 12-month period of November 2018–October 2019 was calculated as follows:where P is the rainfall (m year−1) and ET is the reference evapotranspiration (m year−1) calculated using the Penman–Monteith equation. The runoff was not quantified and set to zero. During the experiment, irrigation was not performed. AF ranges between 0 and 1, where AF between 0 and 10–2 classifies areas at low risk of groundwater leaching (e.g., strongly adsorbed chemicals), AF between 10–2 and 10–1 classifies areas at moderate risk, and AF between 10–1 and 1 classifies areas at high risk (e.g., non-adsorbed chemicals) (
Results
Weather conditions and soil monitoring
From November 2018 until September 2019, Conegliano and Valdobbiadene showed a cumulative rainfall of 1008 and 1331 mm, respectively, with the lowest monthly rainfall observed in December 2018 and the highest in April 2019, in both sites (Table 2). Two intense rainfall events were recorded in both sites (Figure 2) on February 1–3, 2019 (97.6 and 131.8 mm in Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, respectively) and April 4, 2019 (45 and 81.8 mm, respectively). Generally, soil temperature dynamics was very similar among the monitoring stations at the different depths (Figure 2A), showing the minimum and maximum temperatures at 10 cm depth recorded at the beginning of January and the end of April. At 30 and 70 cm depths, the temperature dynamics was gradually smoothed but almost identical between monitoring stations within each site, registering slightly higher fluctuations in Conegliano. The soil water content dynamics is shown in Figure 2B. CE and CO were both particularly reactive to additional precipitation inputs, registering frequent peaks at each occurrence, most pronounced at shallower depths. VN and VS showed higher peaks following intense rainfall events, which sharply decreased the following day. Values of soil moisture were generally lower in VS compared to VN. As observed for the temperature dynamics, smoother responses were observed at 70 cm depth in all monitoring stations regardless of site.
TABLE 2
| Conegliano | Valdobbiadene | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Month | TMean | TMax | TMin | Rainfall | TMean | TMax | TMin | Rainfall |
| °C | °C | °C | mm | °C | °C | °C | mm | ||
| 2018 | November | 9.4 | 23.3 | −4 | 126.8 | 9.6 | 20.9 | −2.4 | 146.2 |
| December | 2.3 | 15.2 | −7.2 | 10.6 | 3.6 | 14.1 | −4.2 | 8.6 | |
| 2019 | January | 0.6 | 12.6 | −8.5 | 12.0 | 1.7 | 15.8 | −6.2 | 14.2 |
| February | 4.8 | 23.3 | −6.5 | 102.8 | 6.6 | 22.2 | −4.9 | 139.8 | |
| March | 8.5 | 24.2 | −3 | 20.2 | 9.6 | 23.9 | −1 | 26.8 | |
| April | 12.6 | 25.1 | 2.9 | 254 | 12.7 | 24.6 | 3.9 | 371.4 | |
| May | 14.5 | 26.4 | 5.4 | 226.4 | 14 | 26.2 | 4.4 | 271.2 | |
| June | 23.9 | 37.7 | 10 | 13.4 | 24.1 | 37.5 | 14 | 34.6 | |
| July | 23.6 | 36.1 | 11.9 | 98.2 | 24 | 36.6 | 13.6 | 130.4 | |
| August | 23.7 | 33.2 | 13.7 | 89 | 24 | 33.1 | 15.6 | 105.8 | |
| September | 18.3 | 33.8 | 5.4 | 54.6 | 18.6 | 33.2 | 8.9 | 82.4 | |
| Whole period | 12.9 | 26.4 | 1.8 | 1008 | 13.5 | 26.2 | 3.8 | 1331.4 | |
Monthly weather data of the two sites during the experiment. TMean is mean air temperature (°C), TMax is maximum air temperature (°C), TMin is minimum air temperature (°C), and rainfall is the monthly cumulated precipitation (mm).
FIGURE 2

Soil temperature (°C) (A) and the soil water content (SWC, m3 m−3) (B) dynamics for the four monitoring stations at the three monitoring depths (10 cm, solid purple line; 30 cm, dotted green line; and 70 cm, dotted yellow line) with rainfall events (mm).
Glyphosate and AMPA concentrations in water
A total of 146 water samples were collected during the 6-month field experiment at the different depths in the four monitoring stations. In both experimental sites, discontinuous GLP and AMPA findings were observed in soil water as highlighted by the high variability between monitoring stations and depths in Figure 3. GLP in Conegliano was hardly detectable compared to Valdobbiadene. In Conegliano, GLP and AMPA concentrations were > LOQ for only seven and three out of 32 and 36 water samples (21.9% and 8.3%, in CE and CO, respectively), compared to 14 and 12 times out of 38 and 37 in Valdobbiadene (36.8% and 32.4%, in VS and VN, respectively).
FIGURE 3

Glyphosate and AMPA detection in soil pore water samples in different monitoring stations and depths. Bars identify daily rainfall events. Data < LOQ are reported in the graphs equal to zero.
In the CE station (Figure 3), GLP was detected first at 70 cm depth (4.26 μg l−1), 21 days after application, remaining below LOQ at 10 and 30 cm during the same period. At 30 days, GLP was detected only in the top layer (1.5 μg l−1), followed by a maximum peak of 9.2 μg l−1 61 days at 30 cm depth. Afterward, GLP decreased to 1.5 μg l−1 (119 days after contamination) at 30 cm depth and was no longer detected along the soil profile. Similar to CE, GLP in CO was detected first at 70 cm depth after some rain events (2.3 μg l−1, 30 days after the distribution), then it was detected only in the surface layer until 54 (4.6 μg l−1) and 84 (1.7 μg l−1) days after herbicide spraying (Figure 3) and never at 30 cm. It should be noted that in both CE and CO, AMPA was found only at 15 cm from day 75.
Different GLP and AMPA dynamics were observed in Valdobbiadene, being mostly found at 70 cm depth since the beginning of the monitoring activities (Figure 3). In both VS and VN, GLP was found following the first rain events. In VN, GLP was found at 10 cm (1.8 μg l−1), 30 cm (2.1 μg l−1), and 70 cm depth (4.4 μg l−1) 7 days after spraying, which increased up to 4.8 μg l−1 at day 12. On the same day, GLP was 7.2 and 7.0 μg l−1 at 70 cm depth in VS and was never detected at 10 cm. After a 3-day heavy rainfall event (February 1–3, 131.8 mm in total), GLP was found in VS and VN at 70 cm (Figure 3) at very high concentrations (9.4 and 14.1 μg l−1, respectively), followed by a gradual reduction until 2.7 and 1.5 μg l−1 at day 161. In VS, GLP in the intermediate layer increased up to 10.3 μg l−1 68 days after the distribution, followed by a reduction to 1.5 μg l−1 (day 91) and its subsequent disappearance (<LOQ). Notably, AMPA was often found in VS since day 68 (30 cm) compared to VN where it was hardly detected but always in conjunction with GLP.
Values used for the calculation of AF are reported in Table 3. The risk of herbicide mobility to the groundwater was estimated according to the AF index; values were always zero regardless of the experimental sites, suggesting a low susceptibility to water contamination.
TABLE 3
| Monitoring station | BD | SOC | Koc | Ɵfc | P | ET |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (kg m-3) | (%) | (m3 kg−1) | (%) | (m year−1) | (m year−1) | |
| CE | 1410 | 1.00 | 12.69 | 30 | 1.036 | 1.042 |
| CO | 1450 | 0.88 | 9.63 | 26 | 1.036 | 1.042 |
| VS | 1390 | 1.01 | 4.13 | 24 | 1.401 | 0.953 |
| VN | 1410 | 0.81 | 4.34 | 24 | 1.401 | 0.953 |
Values and parameters are used to calculate AF. BD is bulk density, SOC is soil organic carbon, Koc is the repartition coefficient between water and organic carbon, Ɵfc is the water content at field capacity, P is annual precipitation, and ET is annual evapotranspiration calculated from data recorded by the weather station from October 2018 to September 2019.
Concentration of glyphosate and AMPA formation in soil
Glyphosate and AMPA in soil were always detected in the surface layer (0–5 cm), while from 5 to 70 cm, they were found occasionally and randomly (Table 4). It follows that Eqs 2, 3 were only applied for the topsoil layer in both sites. Maximum GLP values were found one day after the application, with topsoil concentrations that ranged between 1018.9 μg kg−1 in VN and 1279.6 μg kg−1 in CO. After that, GLP concentrations sharply reduced until complete dissipation in all plots between day 133 and 182, while in VN it was still detected at 182 days. GLP residue in topsoil was well fitted by first-order exponential decay (Eq. 2), with R2 > 0.94. In particular, the rate constants k varied between 0.016 and 0.025 days−1 in Valdobbiadene and Conegliano, respectively. The lower k estimated in Valdobbiadene highlighted slower dissipation dynamics than in Conegliano (Figure 4 left, and Table 5), which had a constant rate 36% higher than that of the former. The formation–dissipation AMPA kinetics (Figure 4 right) was slightly different between Conegliano and Valdobbiadene. In the first case, the formation of AMPA was faster than its dissipation until day 30 in both CE and CO, when a peak in soil concentration reached 425.2 and 661.1 μg kg−1, respectively. After day 30, the formation was slower and AMPA in soils decreased. In Valdobbiadene, maximum soil AMPA concentrations (Table 4) were observed at day 133 for both VS (311.6 μg kg−1) and VN (420.4 μg kg−1). The fitting model described the observed AMPA dynamics in Conegliano better (R2 = 0.85) than in Valdobbiadene (R2 = 0.80). The alpha (α) value and maximum occurrence time (tmax) in Conegliano were 0.017 and 21.2 days, respectively (Table 5), while a slower (α = 0.008 days−1) and delayed (tmax = 28.8 ± 0.2 days, on average) AMPA dissipation was found in Valdobbiadene. Related to the deeper soil layers, GLP was found only six out of 68 times, e.g., at 5–20 cm in CE and CO the day after the distribution (Table 4). After 91 days it was found at 40–70 cm in CE and at 40–50 cm in VN. At the same depth in the latter, AMPA was also detected (64.6 μg kg−1). At day 133, GLP was found at 40–50 cm only in VS, while more than 300 days after the herbicide distribution, GLP and AMPA were not detected. Related to the deeper soil layers, GLP was found only six out of 68 times, e.g., at 5–20 cm in CE and CO the day after the distribution (Table 4). After 91 days it was found at 40–70 cm in CE and 40–50 cm in VN. At the same depth in the latter, AMPA was also detected (64.6 μg kg−1). At day 133, GLP was found at 40–50 cm only in VS, while more than 300 days after the herbicide distribution, GLP and AMPA were not detected.
TABLE 4
| Day after distribution | Layer | CE | CO | VS | VN | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| cm | GLP | AMPA | GLP | AMPA | GLP | AMPA | GLP | AMPA | |
| 1 | 0–5 | 940.3 | 329.4 | 1279.6 | 636.0 | 903.2 | 187.5 | 1018.9 | 324.8 |
| 5–20 | 80.43 | <LOQ | 308.8 | 72.0 | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | |
| 20–40 | -b | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 40–70a | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 28 | 0–5 | 415.7 | 425.2 | 631.0 | 661.1 | 435.3 | 212.5 | 549.6 | 377.6 |
| 5–20 | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | |
| 20–40 | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | |
| 40–70a | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 61 | 0–5 | 156.8 | 199.7 | 292.6 | 442.7 | 189.6 | 153.8 | 167.3 | 150.1 |
| 5–20 | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | |
| 20–40 | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | |
| 40–70a | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 91 | 0–5 | 123.5 | 200.5 | 113.7 | 281.9 | 229.8 | 271.0 | 244.6 | 322.7 |
| 5–20 | 45.6 | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | |
| 20–40 | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | |
| 40–70a | 53.8 | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | 80.7 | 64.6 | |
| 133 | 0–5 | 56.9 | 144.7 | 58.5 | 218.2 | 110.2 | 311.6 | 129.2 | 420.4 |
| 5–20 | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | |
| 20–40 | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | |
| 40–70a | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | 63.1 | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | |
| 182 | 0–5 | <LOQ | 68.3 | <LOQ | 128.2 | <LOQ | 132.6 | 87.6 | 349.3 |
| 5–20 | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | |
| 20–40 | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | |
| 40–70a | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | |
| 302 | 0–5 | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ |
| 5–20 | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | |
| 20–40 | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | |
| 40–70a | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | <LOQ | |
GLP and AMPA (µg kg−1) detection in soil layers at different times and depths after the distribution.
For VS and VN, is 40–50 cm.
No data were available where “–” is reported.
FIGURE 4

Dissipation dynamics of GLP in the topsoil layer (0–5 cm) for the the two sites fitted with the SFO equation (on the left, Eq. 2) and formation/dissipation dynamics of AMPA in the topsoil layer for the two sites fitted in Eq. 3 (on the right). Dots refer to experimental concentrations (orange for Conegliano and purple for Valdobbiadene) and lines refer to fitted dynamics.
TABLE 5
| Monitoring station | GLP | AMPA | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fitting model parameter | Goodness of fit | Fitting model parameter | Goodness of fit | |||||||
| k (d−1) | R2 | RMSE | DT50 (d) | CM (µg kg−1) | α (d−1) | R2 | RMSE | DT50 (d) | tmax (d) | |
| Conegliano | 0.025 | 0.99 | 22.7 | 28.2 | 1826.2 | 0.017 | 0.85 | 130.2 | 42.0 | 20.3 |
| Valdobbiadene | 0.016 | 0.94 | 85.7 | 43.3 | 1273.6 | 0.008 | 0.80 | 93.6 | 92.0 | 24.1 |
Rate constants (k and α), coefficient of determination (R2), and root mean square error (RMSE) as indicators of the goodness of fit of glyphosate and AMPA with dissipation times (DT50 in days) in the topsoil layer (0–5 cm) of the four monitoring stations. CM (µg kg−1) is the concentration of the parent molecule that is transformed to AMPA at the initial time and tmax (days) is the time at maximum AMPA occurrence.
Adsorption of glyphosate
Regarding the analysis of GLP adsorption, a good accuracy of the Freundlich equation (Table 6) was found at all depths and in the different experimental sites (R2 always ≥0.95). The estimated 1/n was always <1 indicating that nonlinear adsorption occurred. The averaged 1/n was fixed at 0.76 ± 0.03 to calculate the averaged adsorption coefficient (Kf-mean). In general, Kf-mean varied between sites and depths showing a weaker GLP adsorption in Valdobbiadene than in Conegliano soils, the average being Kf-mean = 35.6 ± 3.4 and 140.7 ± 25.2, respectively. According to soil depth, the lowest Kf-mean was always observed in the topsoil layer (on average, 25.4 ± 3.2 and 112.9 ± 34.2 in Valdobbiadene and Conegliano, respectively), which gradually increased with depth until average values of 42.8 ± 1.8 and 174.7 ± 68.0 below 40 cm were obtained. Within Conegliano, the adsorption was broadly variable between monitoring stations, with Kf-mean ranging between 147.0 and 242.7 in CE and between 78.7 and 106.7 in CO. Lower variability was observed in Valdobbiadene, Kf-mean being in the 28.7–44.6 range in VS and 22.2–41.0 in VN.
TABLE 6
| Monitoring station | Layer (cm) | Kf | 1/n | R2 | Kf-meana | R2b |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CE | 0–15 | 176.4 | 0.82 | 0.995 | 147.0 | 0.998 |
| 15–40 | 193.6 | 0.78 | 0.960 | 176.2 | 0.964 | |
| 40–70 | 229.4 | 0.73 | 0.986 | 242.7 | 0.993 | |
| CO | 0–15 | 96.3 | 0.84 | 0.978 | 78.7 | 0.982 |
| 15–40 | 63.8 | 0.58 | 0.970 | 92.7 | 0.945 | |
| 40–70 | 96.4 | 0.71 | 0.999 | 106.7 | 0.998 | |
| VS | 0–15 | 29.0 | 0.79 | 0.998 | 28.7 | 0.999 |
| 15–40 | 44.1 | 0.84 | 0.995 | 38.5 | 0.998 | |
| 40–50 | 53.5 | 0.86 | 0.988 | 44.6 | 0.995 | |
| VN | 0–15 | 18.7 | 0.61 | 0.975 | 22.2 | 0.955 |
| 15–40 | 40.4 | 0.78 | 0.989 | 38.7 | 0.991 | |
| 40–50 | 45.9 | 0.82 | 0.986 | 41.0 | 0.991 |
Freundlich equation parameters for GLP (Kf, n, and Kf-mean) and coefficients of determination (R2) for different monitoring stations and soil layers. Kf and Kf-mean are reported in μg1–1/n (ml)1/n g−1.
Adjusted with fixed 1/nmean = 0.76 ± 0.03.
Using adjusted Kf-mean.
Al and Fe contents in the soil
Poorly ordered Fe and Al oxides (FeOx and AlOx, respectively, mg kg−1) generally decreased with depth in Conegliano (Table 7). Lower values were observed in the topsoil layer than deeper ones for AlOx in both VS and VN and for FeOx in VS Conegliano had FeOx always below 2000 mg kg−1, with the lowest values being found in CO along the whole soil profile (761.9 ± 201.8 mg kg−1). In contrast, Valdobbiadene had a relatively higher FeOx content, being 2538.3 ± 310.0 mg kg−1 in VS and 2648.1 ± 86.6 mg kg−1 in VN. Differently, AlOx was always found at lower concentrations than FeOx and with similar concentrations between experimental sites. The AlOx concentration was on average 279.7 ± 13.4 and 293.6 ± 15.6 mg kg−1 in Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, respectively, and ranged between a minimum of 217.7 mg kg−1 at the 40–70-cm layer in CO and a maximum of 354.6 mg kg−1 at the 15–40-cm layer in VS Iron and aluminum chelated to soil organic matters (FeSom and AlSom) were at similar average concentrations between the two sites, although different compositions were found with a variation of depth. Both SOM-chelated metals in the Conegliano site increased with depth (+26% and +65% on average in the deepest layer compared to the shallower one for FeSom and AlSom, respectively), while in Valdobbiadene, they decreased at deeper soil depths (−47% and −20% for FeSom and AlSom, respectively). In Conegliano, CE had the highest amount of FeSom and AlSom (on average 606.37 ± 44.32 and 648.03 ± 91.99 mg kg−1, respectively). Furthermore, in Conegliano at 40–70 cm, AlSom was predominant with respect to FeSom (+26% as average between the two stations). An inverse trend was found in Valdobbiadene. Here, both monitoring stations had similar FeSom contents in the 0–15-cm layer (359 ± 16.80 mg kg−1), decreasing to 224.1 in VS and 148.7 mg kg−1 in VN at 40–70 cm depth. Furthermore, AlSom had about half the concentration of that of FeSom. The ratio between FeSom and AlSom and the SOC content is also reported in Table 7.
TABLE 7
| Monitoring station | Layer (cm) | FeOx | AlOx | FeSom | AlSom | FeSom/SOC | AlSom/SOC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mg kg−1 | mg kg−1 | mg kg−1 | mg kg−1 | — | — | ||
| CE | 0–15 | 1669.2 | 306.0 | 561.6 | 533.0 | 0.034 | 0.033 |
| 15–40 | 1767.1 | 303.8 | 562.5 | 581.2 | 0.059 | 0.061 | |
| 40–70 | 1349.4 | 295.3 | 695.0 | 829.9 | 0.097 | 0.115 | |
| CO | 0–15 | 968.6 | 276.6 | 371.7 | 363.1 | 0.030 | 0.029 |
| 15–40 | 958.8 | 278.7 | 410.4 | 489.9 | 0.043 | 0.051 | |
| 40–70 | 358.4 | 217.7 | 477.3 | 631.9 | 0.076 | 0.100 | |
| VS | 0–15 | 2161.2 | 235.4 | 342.3 | 140.8 | 0.021 | 0.009 |
| 15–40 | 3153.0 | 354.6 | 327.7 | 167.3 | 0.041 | 0.021 | |
| 40–50 | 2300.8 | 296.9 | 224.1 | 135.5 | 0.039 | 0.023 | |
| VN | 0–15 | 2816.3 | 294.5 | 375.9 | 160.1 | 0.030 | 0.013 |
| 15–40 | 2599.4 | 281.5 | 287.4 | 150.3 | 0.047 | 0.025 | |
| 40–50 | 2528.4 | 298.9 | 148.7 | 101.5 | 0.023 | 0.016 |
Oxalate-extractable (FeOx and AlOx) and SOM-chelated (FeSom and AlSom) Al and Fe contents (mg kg−1) in the four monitoring stations and soil depths. The ratio between FeSom and AlSom and the SOC content (mg kg−1) is also reported.
Discussion
During the 10-month monitoring experiment following herbicide distribution, GLP and AMPA were regularly detected in the topsoil 0–5 cm layer, while they were hardly found in the deeper layers or in pore water samples. However, some rapid transport of GLP to the deepest layers occurred, being first detected at 70 cm depth in water samples, e.g., just after 21 days in CE and 7 days in both VS and VN. GLP was first detected more superficially at 10 and 30 cm depths only after 7 (VN) and 30 days (CE). These results suggest the likely occurrence of GLP bypass flow in the intermediate layers as also reported by others (
The monitored experimental sites were characterized by grassland (Valdobbiadene) and grassed vineyard (Conegliano), which could have favored some movement of GLP (
TABLE 8
| Sand | Silt | Clay | SOC | Total N | pH | EC | P Olsen | CEC | FeOx | AlOx | FeSom | AlSom | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sand | — | ||||||||||||
| Silt | −0.957 | — | |||||||||||
| Clay | −0.631 | 0.380 | — | ||||||||||
| SOC | −0.243 | 0.489 | −0.535 | — | |||||||||
| Total N | −0.367 | 0.603 | −0.445 | 0.975 | — | ||||||||
| pH | 0.228 | −0.265 | −0.017 | −0.095 | −0.192 | — | |||||||
| EC | −0.656 | 0.789 | −0.018 | 0.806 | 0.87 | −0.221 | — | ||||||
| P Olsen | 0.234 | −0.028 | −0.674 | 0.537 | 0.526 | −0.190 | 0.164 | — | |||||
| CEC | −0.85 | 0.916 | 0.261 | 0.646 | 0.734 | −0.246 | 0.024 | — | |||||
| 0.925 | |||||||||||||
| FeOx | 0.624 | −0.531 | −0.57 | −0.041 | −0.108 | −0.218 | −0.374 | 0.581 | −0.478 | — | |||
| AlOx | −0.019 | 0.030 | −0.019 | −0.124 | −0.083 | −0.361 | −0.050 | 0.183 | −0.010 | 0.610 | — | ||
| FeSom | 0.239 | 0.365 | −0.104 | −0.097 | −0.053 | — | |||||||
| −0.777 | 0.716 | 0.563 | 0.684 | 0.795 | −0.523 | — | |||||||
| AlSom | −0.016 | 0.104 | −0.005 | −0.442 | −0.173 | 0.912 | — | ||||||
| −0.832 | 0.692 | 0.805 | 0.507 | 0.687 | −0.753 | ||||||||
| Kf-mean | −0.028 | 0.103 | −0.21 | −0.37 | 0.044 | 0.894 | 0.934 | ||||||
| −0.876 | 0.744 | 0.808 | 0.498 | 0.720 | −0.546 | ||||||||
| p-value ≤ | 0.001 | 0.01 | 0.025 | 0.05 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 1 |
Pearson correlation coefficient matrix between sorption coefficients and soil properties in the four monitoring stations (N = 13). Different colors indicate a range of p-values.
FIGURE 5

Regression lines with coefficient of determination between AlSom/SOC (orange dots) and Kf-mean and between FeSom/SOC (blue triangles) and Kf-mean.
TABLE 9
| Regression Coefficient | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freundlich coefficient | Intercept | CECa | Clayb | FeOx + AlOxc | FeSom + AlSomc | SOCd | R2 | p-value |
| Experimental | −330.544 | 6.832 (0.354) | 14.602 (0.509) | 0.017 (0.218) | 0.079 (0.450) | - | 0.97 | <0.001 |
| 50.904 | 9.246 | −1.985 | — | — | −11.811 | 0.48 | 0.001 | |
| a cmol kg−1;b %;c mg kg−1;d % | ||||||||
Multiple linear regression analysis for estimation of Freundlich sorption coefficient (Kf-mean for experimental and Kf for Dollinger) according to soil parameters and
The dissipation time (DT50) has been calculated (reported in Table 5) using Eq. 6 despite the low amount of sampling points in the first 30 days of the experiment. For AMPA, the rate coefficient α was used instead of k in Eq. 6. Estimated dissipation of GLP was 28 days in Conegliano and 43 days in Valdobbiadene, highlighting a significant variability between the two experimental sites. In contrast, a low variability within each site can be hypothesized, which is supported by the low variability of both pedogenetic (
Conclusion
The glyphosate application in two soils of the Prosecco DOCG wine-growing area confirmed the general GLP and AMPA low mobility and highlighted the pivotal role of Fe and Al as key factors to mitigate the repulsive forces, especially when complexed with organic molecules. It is therefore suggested to study their content better to predict GLP dynamics. Between experimental sites, Conegliano showed a faster dissipation (about 28 days for GLP, 42 for AMPA) in the 0–5 cm of soil and higher sorption to soils (depth average Kf-mean = 140.6) than Valdobbiadene (about 43 days for GLP, 92 for AMPA; depth average Kf-mean = 35.6). However, a reduced soil-filtering capacity was observed during intense rain events as emphasized by some preferential movements due to likely well-structured soil conditions that could increase groundwater vulnerability to contamination. It follows that an in-depth water and solute monitoring activity at a site-specific level is required after the careful definition of homogeneous areas of the Prosecco terroir, which goes beyond the estimate of only leachability indexes that do not include the heterogeneity of soil structure and hydraulic properties. This phenomenon might be further exacerbated due to repeated GLP applications in cultivated areas or under particular pedoclimatic conditions that could increase GLP and AMPA dissipation times. Therefore, sparing use of GLP is suggested, which might be planned after evaluation of the most appropriate weather conditions.
Statements
Data availability statement
The original contributions presented in the study are included in the article/Supplementary Material; further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author.
Author contributions
NDF, FM, GZ, and PS: conception and design of the study. MM: data collection, sample preparation, laboratory and statistical analyses, and preparation of the first draft of the manuscript. AC: laboratory analysis. PS: funding acquisition. All authors contributed to the manuscript, and they have revised, read, and approved the submitted version.
Funding
This research received funding from the project SWAT (Subsurface Water quality and Agricultural pracTices monitoring) UNI-IMPRESA 2017, C.I.R. Centro di Idrologia D. Tonini.
Acknowledgments
The authors thank the project partners Alto Trevigiano Servizi and Piave Servizi for the funding and support during the experimental setup. Special thanks to the University of Padova for supporting the acquisition of the TSQ Quantiva mass spectrometer by 2015/CPDB15489 funding.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
Publisher’s note
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors, and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
Supplementary material
The Supplementary Material for this article can be found online at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2022.971931/full#supplementary-material
SUPPLEMENTARY FIGURE S1Glyphosate concentration in μg L‐1 in and out the pore water samplers with the identity line (1:1) as reference.
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Summary
Keywords
oxides, vineyard, freundlich adsorption isotherms, suction cups, dissipation
Citation
Mencaroni M, Cardinali A, Costa L, Morari F, Salandin P, Zanin G and Dal Ferro N (2022) Glyphosate and AMPA have low mobility through different soil profiles of the prosecco wine production area: A monitoring study in north-eastern Italy. Front. Environ. Sci. 10:971931. doi: 10.3389/fenvs.2022.971931
Received
17 June 2022
Accepted
08 August 2022
Published
28 September 2022
Volume
10 - 2022
Edited by
Valerie Pot, INRA Centre Versailles-Grignon, France
Reviewed by
Marianne Stenrød, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO), Norway
Jun Wang, Shandong Agricultural University, China
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© 2022 Mencaroni, Cardinali, Costa, Morari, Salandin, Zanin and Dal Ferro.
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Marta Mencaroni, marta.mencaroni@phd.unipd.it
This article was submitted to Soil Processes, a section of the journal Frontiers in Environmental Science
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