Degradation of a chiral nonylphenol isomer in two agricultural soils

The degradation of a chiral nonylphenol isomer, 4-(1-ethyl-1,4-dimethylpentyl)phenol (NP112), in two agricultural soils from Monheim and Dortmund, Germany has been studied. The degradation of NP112 and the formation of a nitro-nonylphenol metabolite were determined by means of GC–MS analysis. The degradation followed bi-exponential order kinetics, with half-life of less than 5 days in both soils. The nitro-metabolite was found at different concentration levels in the two soils. The nitro-metabolite of NP112 was more persistent than its parent compound. After 150 days about 13% of the initially applied NP112 remained in the Monheim soil as its nitro-metabolite. Results of the E-screen assay revealed that the nitro-NP112 has oestrogenic potency of 85% of that of NP112. Furthermore, the results of chiral GC–MS analysis revealed that no chiral degradation of NP112 occurred in this study.