SORPTION AND PHOTODEGRADATION OF RIMSULFURON on CYCLODEXTRIN and ZEOLITE

. Extending our investigations on environment protection by agrochemicals’ diffusion and accumulation, newly formed inclusion combinations of rimsulphuron into zeolite-NaY (Z-NaY) and β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) were studied and compared. The reactivity of the included herbicide under UV-irradiation and in the dark was assessed. Many ratios guest / host were tested: the best results were found using 3 g (6.953 mmol) rimsulphuron kg-1 zeolite, with 80 % inclusion success (5.562 mmol kg-1), and a molar ratio 1:2, 190 g rimsulphuron kg-1 β-CD with 58 % inclusion success. The herbicide Z-NaY-combined underwent rapid and effective (halflive 2 – 7 h) degradation either catalytically or photochemically, giving rise to different identified by-products. On the contrary, β-CD was able to totally protect rimsulphuron both in the dark and under 24-h direct UV-irradiation