This study evaluates the degradation of the herbicide propanil and of its major degradation product, 3,4-dichloroaniline (3,4-DCA) in water from irrigated rice farming in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. It also assesses the contamination risk of surrounding surface waters. After a solid phase extraction step, the concentration of both compounds was determined by high performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection. Confirmation was conducted by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Concentrations of propanil in water samples varied from 0.1 to 3600 µg L-1. Propanil was degraded very rapidly to 3,4-DCA and high concentrations of this product were found, varying from 1.0 to 567.5 µg L-1 in water. The obtained half-life times for propanil in water under real conditions for the 2001, 2002 and 2003 harvests were 18.2, 12.5 and 12.2 h, respectively.
propanil; degradation; rice fields; water analysis; herbicide residues
