Mobility of organic pollutants in soil components. What role can magic angle spinning NMR play?

The adsorption-desorption mechanisms at the interface between organic and inorganic soil colloids influence the movement of pesticides and hence their bioavailability and biotransformation processes. Direct analyses of soils have been reported in the literature with the use of solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy on dry samples. We recently demonstrated the potential of the H-1 high resolution magic angle spinning (MAS) NMR technique to study such mechanisms in situ on highly hydrated samples. By using a well-characterized soil model, it was possible to distinguish the mobile and immobile pesticide unambiguously. In the present communication, a short review of MAS NMR techniques that allow covalent and non-covalent bond analysis is provided. The results obtained in our group on the adsorption of some pollutants such as phosphonomethylglycine (glyphosate), MCPA and 2-benzothiazole sulphonate are also presented. Specifically, we focus on the potential of MAS NMR spectroscopy for probing the behaviour (mobility) of these organic pollutants loaded onto the surface of different clays. The influence of clay hydration on NMR spectra has also been evaluated.