LABORATORY METHOD FOR DETERMINING RATE OF VOLATILIZATION OF INSECTICIDES FROM PLANTS

A direct measurement method for evaluating the rate of volatilization of insecticides was developed. The all-glass collection system consisted of a glass chamber which contained the treated surface. Glass tubing was used to connect the chamber to two gas washing-absorption bottles and ethylene glycol was utilized as the scrubbing solvent. A series of experiments were performed to test the suitability of benzene as a solvent for extracting lindane, dieldrin, and tetradifon from ethylene glycol; recoveries ranging from 95 to 99% were obtained for lindane and 97 and 98% for dieldrin and tetradifon, respectively. The ability of ethylene glycol to retain 50 and 500 μg. of lindane at different temperatures and flow rates was evaluated; the recoveries were between 92 and 96%. Preliminary data are given, using the collection system, for the determination of the rate of loss of lindane from both leaf and glass surfaces as influenced by temperature and humidity. © 1968, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.