Effect of incubating plant cuticles in soil on their sorptive capabilities

Sorption and desorption are the major processes influencing the fate of hydrophobic organic compounds （HOCs） in soils. Among the natural sorbents in the environment, soil organic matter （SOM） plays a significant role in the overall sorption of many organic compounds. Recently, several reports have emphasized the role of aliphatic-rich sorbents in the binding of HOCs. The main source of aliphatic compounds for SOM is biopolymers derived from above- and below-ground plant cuticular matter. The plant cuticle is a thin layer of predominantly lipid material that covers all primary aerial surfaces of vascular plants. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of decomposition and transformation of plant cuticles on their sorption behavior with triazine herbicides and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons （PAHs）. Sorption-desorption behavior was studied during 12 months of incubation of cuticles isolated from tomato fruits and pummelo leaves in sandy soil. Sorption and desorption experiments and spectroscopic and chemical analyses were performed using the samples after 0, 1, 3, 6 and 12 months of incubation. The decomposition of the cuticles （46-49% after 12 months） did not affect the organic carbon-normalized Freundlich distribution coefficient （KFOC） for the PAHs. In addition, throughout the incubation period, the two PAHs exhibited linear and reversible sorption isotherms with both cuticles. However, the isotherms of the triazines were significantly affected by the decomposition of the cuticles from pummelo leaves, whereas only minor changes were recorded for the tomato cuticle samples. For the microcosm with cuticles from the pummelo leaves, the KFOC values of the triazines increased with increasing decomposition.

Effect of incubating plant cuticles in soil on their sorptive capabilities