Photodegradation of chloramben on a soil surface: A laboratory-controlled study

Photodegradation of chloramben was conducted on a silt-loam soil under xenon irradiance using a laboratory soil photolysis apparatus. The study was conducted using three sets of soil conditions: active moist soil, sterilized moist soil, and dry (air-dry) soil, with temperature-controlled constantly at 25 + 1 °C. Of all three soil conditions, application of chloramben on active moist soil, where moisture was maintained at approximately 75% field moisture capacity (FMC) at 0.33 bar, generated the most accelerated rate of degradation of the chemical. Further, chloramben degraded at a slower rate with a different degradation pattern when it was applied on air-dry soil surface as compared to when it was applied on an active soil at 75% FMC.