A LABORATORY MODEL SYSTEM FOR DETERMINING THE VOLATILITY OF PESTICIDES FROM SOIL AND PLANT-SURFACES

A laboratory model system for the direct determination of the volatilization of pesticides from soil and plant surfaces has been developed. Experiments have been carried out with lindane and atrazine as test substances, a light "sandy soil" and a "peat soil" as test soils, oats (Avena sativa L.), bean (Phaseolus aureus L.), and turnip (Brassica rapa L.) as test plants, and varying temperatures and soil moisture contents. The half-lives were strongly dependent on soil type, soil humidity, and soil temperature, or plant species and leaf temperature, resp.