Study on the Degradation of Chlorpyrifos in Sterilized and Nonsterilized Soil

Degradation of chlorpyrifos was studied in sterilized and non-sterilized soil. The results showed that the initial concentration of chlorpyrifos affected the rate of degradation: the half-lives were 79.2, 91.8 and 278 days, respectively, when the soil was treated with 10 mg/kg, 100 mg/kg and 1 000 mg/kg chlorpyrifos .It showed that microorganism was a critical factor in degradation. Half-life of chlorpyrifos in sterilized soil was 3 or 4 times longer than that in non-sterilized soil.