Ionic liquids (ILs) are described as low-impact green chemicals in which the cation can influence the properties of the anion through ion pair formation. We decided to see how stable ILs are in the soil environment. Herbicidal ILs consisting of hydrophilic glyphosate [Glyph] paired with hydrophilic choline [Chol], hydrophobic C₁₂ alkyl modified choline [C₁₂Chol] and hydrophobic quaternary ammonium cation [C₁₆TMA] were synthesized. The calculated interaction energies between ions (75.9–88.9 kcal/mol) were typical for ILs. The results showed independent sorption of cations and anions and no statistical effect of cations on anion sorption. Hydrophobic [C₁₆TMA], [C₁₂Chol] cations followed 99 % adsorption, and hydrophilic [Chol] revealed 42–45 % adsorption. The Freundlich constants were [C₁₆TMA] K_f≈4000 > [C₁₂Chol] K_f≈3000 > [Chol] K_f≈3 (mg^1-1/n L^{1/n g-1}). The preferential sorption of hydrophobic cations was also visible during leaching experiments and resembles the behavior of cationic surfactants. [Glyph] sorption was higher in organic-rich agricultural soil (approx. 45 %) compared to reference OECD soil (30 %), and the K_f values were constant, regardless of the presence of cations. The lack of ionic pair integrity was also visualized by the toxicity and phytotoxicity results. In the soil environment, ILs are a mixture of independent cations and anions rather than a novel emerging contaminant.