Emissions of 1,3-Dichloropropene and Chloropicrin after Soil Fumigation under Field Conditions

Simulation of chloropicrin emissions in response to soil conditions and applicator practices

HYDRUS 2D was used to simulate chloropicrin (CP) emissions across a range of expected application and environmental conditions present within California, where CP is widely used in the pre-plant treatment of soils for high-value specialty crops. Simulations were developed based on field calibration work and physicochemical parameters from literature with additional consideration of application rate-dependent degradation and applicator practices including application depth, application mode, and tarp material. Model output was compared to the distribution of indirect whole-field flux estimates derived from field monitoring studies using measures of maximum 8-h, maximum 24-h, and cumulative emissions due to their relevance to public health. We observed a strong linear relationship (R2 ≥ 0.80, p < 0.001) between HYDRUS-simulated and field-based maximum flux estimates and no evidence of statistical difference depending on the estimation source for maximum 24-h flux. A linear relationship of similar strength (R2 = 0.82, p < 0.001) was observed between simulated and field-based cumulative emission estimates, although mean HYDRUS estimates were lower than field-estimated values for some high-emission application methods. Analysis of simulation output demonstrated large differences in CP emissions in response to application method and a non-linear increase in CP emissions with increasing application rate, with considerable interaction between application variables including application depth, tarp types, and field layout. The findings generally support the use of simulated CP emission estimates as a tool to address gaps in field-based flux estimates, particularly where characterization of short-term peak emissions is needed.

Encapsulated allyl isothiocyanate improves soil distribution, efficacy against soil-borne pathogens and tomato yield

BACKGROUND

Crop quality, yield and farmer income are reduced by soil-borne diseases, nematodes and weeds, although these can be controlled by allyl isothiocyanate (AITC), a plant-derived soil fumigant. However, its efficacy against soil-borne pathogens varies, mainly because of its chemical instability and uneven distribution in the soil. Formulation modification is an effective way to optimize pesticide application. We encapsulated AITC in modified diatomite granules (GR) and measured the formulation's loading content and stability, environmental fate and efficacy against soil-borne pathogens, and its impact on the growth and yield of tomatoes.

RESULTS

We observed that an AITC loading content in the granules of 27.6% resulted in a degradation half-life of GR that was 1.94 times longer than 20% AITC emulsifiable concentrate in water (EW) and shorter than AITC technical (TC) grade. The stable and more even distribution of GR in soil resulted in relatively consistent and acceptable control of soil-borne pathogens. Soil containing AITC residues that remained 10-24 days after GR fumigation were not phytotoxic to cucumber seeds. GR significantly reduced soil-borne pest populations, and tomato growth and yield increased as AITC dosage increased. GR containing an AITC dose of 20 g m-2 effectively controlled pathogens in soil for about 7 months and improved tomato yield by 108%.

CONCLUSION

Our research demonstrates the benefits of soil fumigation with loaded AITC over other formulations for effective pest control, and improved tomato plant growth and fruit yield. Fumigant encapsulation appears to be a useful method to improve pest and disease control, environmental performance and fumigant commercial sustainability. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Heterogeneous kinetics of the OH-initiated degradation of fenthion and parathion

Fenthion and parathion are two representative kinds of organophosphorus pesticides and widely used in agriculture. They are directly or indirectly released into the atmosphere by spraying or volatilization processes. However, their heterogeneous reactivity toward OH radicals has not yet been well understood. Therefore, this work investigated the heterogeneous kinetics of the OH-initiated degradation of surface-bound fenthion and parathion using a flow reactor. The results showed that OH radicals played an important role in the atmospheric degradation of fenthion and parathion. Their average rate constants were (7.20 ± 0.77) × 10^-12 and (10.40 ± 0.60) × 10^-12 cm³/(mol· sec) at a relative humidity (RH) and temperature of 35% and 20 °C, respectively, suggesting that they have relatively short lifetimes in the atmosphere. In addition, a negative RH dependence and a positive temperature dependence of the rate constants were observed. The Arrhenius expressions of fenthion and parathion were k₂ = (1.34 ± 0.48) × 10^-9exp[-(1432.59 ± 105.29)/T] and k₂ = (1.96 ± 1.38) × 10^-9exp[-(1619.98 ± 222.02)/T], respectively, and their overall activation energy was estimated to be (11.88 ± 0.87) and (13.48 ± 1.83) kJ/mol. The experimental results will update the kinetic data of fenthion and parathion in the atmosphere and be helpful to further understand their atmospheric transportation processes.

Effects of soil factors on dimethyl disulfide desorption and the risk of phytotoxicity to newly-planted seedlings

Dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) is a relatively new soil fumigant used in agro-industrial crop production to control soil-borne pests that damage crops and reduce yield. The emissions of DMDS after fumigation reduce soil concentrations thus reducing the risk of phytotoxicity to newly planted crops. However, the factors affecting the desorption of DMDS from soil are unclear. In our study, the desorption characteristics of DMDS from soil were measured in response to continuous ventilation. The degradation of DMDS in soil was examined by thermal incubation. The phytotoxic response of newly-planted cucumber (Cucumis sativus) seedlings to DMDS residues was measured by a sand culture experiment. The results showed DMDS desorption and degradation rates fit a first-order model; that 92% of the DMDS desorption occurred in the first hour after fumigant application; and that residue concentrations in the soil at the end of the ventilation period were unlikely to be phytotoxic to newly-planted cucumber seedlings. By the third day of ventilation, the average desorption rate (ADR) of DMDS in Wenshan soil was 4.0 and 3.6 times, respectively, faster than that in Shunyi and Suihua soils and the ADR of DMDS in soil decreased by 40.0% when the soil moisture content increased from 3% to 12% (wt/wt). Moreover, within one hour of ventilation, the ADR of DMDS in soil decreased by 20.1% when the soil bulk density increased from 1.1 to 1.3 g cm-3. The degradation of DMDS in soil, however, was mostly influenced by soil type and moisture content. A slow degradation rate resulted in a high initial desorption concentration of DMDS in soil. Our results indicated that DMDS desorption from soil in response to continuous ventilation was affected by the soil type, moisture content and bulk density. Rapid degradation of DMDS in soil will lower the risk of phytotoxic residues remaining in the soil and reduce emissions during the waiting period. Acceleration of emissions early in the waiting period by managing soil moisture content or increasing soil porosity may shorten the duration of emissions. Alternatively, soil extraction technology could be developed to recover and reduce fumigant emissions.

Biochar significantly reduced fumigant emissions and benefited germination and plant growth under field conditions

Soil fumigation continues to play an important role in soil disinfection, but tools to significantly reduce emissions while providing environmental benefits (e.g., biochar) are lacking. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of biochar products on fumigant 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D) and chloropicrin (CP) emissions, their distribution and persistence in soil, nematode control, and potential toxicity to plants in a field trial. Treatments included three biochar products [two derived from almond shells (ASB) at either 550 or 900 °C pyrolysis temperature and one from coconut shells (CSB) at 550 °C] at 30 and 60 t ha^-1, a surface covering with a low permeability film (TIF), and no surface covering (control). A mixture of 1,3-D (∼65%) and CP (∼35%) was injected to ∼60 cm soil depth at a combined rate of 640 kg ha^-1. All biochar treatments significantly reduced emissions by 38-100% compared to the control. The ASB (900 °C) at both rates reduced emissions as effectively as the TIF (by 99-100%). Both fumigant emission reduction and residue in surface soil were positively correlated with biochar's adsorption capacity while cucumber germination rate and dry biomass were negatively correlated with residual fumigant concentrations in surface soil. This research demonstrated the potential and benefits of using biochar produced from local orchard feedstocks to control fumigant emissions. Additional research is needed to maximize the benefits of biochar on fumigant emission reductions without impacting plant growth.

Interactions between Brassica Biofumigants and Soil Microbiota: Causes and Impacts

Biofumigation is used to control soil-borne plant diseases, and it has paramount importance to reduce the cost of chemical fumigants. Information about the field control efficacies and impacts of Brassica-based biofumigation (BBF) on soil bacterial and fungal microbiota is scattered in the literature. Therefore, this review summarizes and discusses the nature and the underlying causes of soil bacterial and fungal community dynamics in response to BBF. In addition, the major factors influencing the interaction between a biofumigant and soil microbiota are discussed. The pros and cons of BBF to soil microbiota and the subsequent impacts on sustainable farming practices are also highlighted.

Analysis of the Soil Fumigant, Dimethyl Disulfide, in Swine Blood by Dynamic Headspace Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy

Plant parasites and soilborne pathogens directly reduce the overall yield of crops, vegetables, and fruits, negatively impacting the market demand for these products and their net profitability. While preplant soil fumigation helps maintain the consistent production quality of high-value cash crops, most soil fumigants are toxic to off-target species, including humans. Dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) has recently been introduced as a relatively low toxicity soil fumigant. Although DMDS exhibits low toxicity compared to other soil fumigants, it is volatile and exposure can cause eye, nasal, and upper respiratory tract irritation, skin irritation, nausea, dizziness, headache, and fatigue. While there is one analysis method available for DMDS from biological matrices, it has significant disadvantages. Hence, in this study, a dynamic headspace gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (DHS-GC-MS) method was developed for the analysis of DMDS in swine whole blood. This method is highly sensitive and requires only three steps: 1) acid denaturation, 2) addition of internal standard, and 3) DHS-GC-MS analysis. The method produced a wide linear range from 0.1 - 200 µM with an excellent limit of detection of 30 nM. Intra- and interassay accuracy (100±14% and 100±11%, respectively) and precision (<5% and <6% relative standard deviation, respectively) were also excellent. The method worked well to quantify the DMDS levels in the blood of dimethyl trisulfide (DMTS)-treated swine (i.e., DMDS is a byproduct of DMTS treatment) with no interfering substances at or around the retention time of DMDS (i.e., 2.7 min). This simple, rapid, and extremely sensitive method can be used for the quantification of DMDS levels in blood to verify exposure to DMDS or to monitor levels of DMDS following DMTS treatment (e.g., for cyanide poisoning).

GAC to BAC: Does it make chloraminated drinking water safer?

Biological activated carbon (BAC) is widely used as a polishing step at full-scale drinking water plants to remove taste and odor compounds and assimilable organic carbon. BAC, especially with pre-ozonation, has been previously studied to control regulated disinfection by-products (DBPs) and DBP precursors. However, most previous studies only include regulated or a limited number of unregulated DBPs. This study explored two full-scale drinking water plants that use pre-chloramination followed by BAC and chloramine as the final disinfectant. While chloramine generally produces lower concentrations of regulated DBPs, it may form increased levels of unregulated nitrogenous and iodinated DBPs. We evaluated 71 DBPs from ten DBP classes including haloacetonitriles, haloacetamides, halonitromethanes, haloacetaldehydes, haloketones, iodinated acetic acids, iodinated trihalomethanes, nitrosamines, trihalomethanes, and haloacetic acids, along with speciated total organic halogen (total organic chlorine, bromine and iodine) across six different BAC filters of increasing age. Most preformed DBPs were well removed by BAC with different ages (i.e., operation times). However, some preformed DBPs were poorly removed or increased following treatment with BAC, including chloroacetaldehyde, dichloronitromethane, bromodichloronitromethane, N-nitrosodimethylamine, dibromochloromethane, tribromomethane, dibromochloroacetic acid, and tribromoacetic acid. Some compounds, including dibromoacetaldehyde, bromochloroacetamide, and dibromoacetamide, were formed only after treatment with BAC. Total organic halogen removal was variable in both plants and increases in TOCl or TOI were observable on one occasion at each plant. While calculated genotoxicity decreased in all filters, decreases in overall DBP formation did not correlate with decreases in calculated cytotoxicity. In three of the six filters, calculated toxicity increased by 4-27%. These results highlight that DBP concentration alone may not always provide an adequate basis for risk assessment.

Reducing the discrepancies between the Aerodynamic Gradient Method and other micrometeorological approaches for measuring fumigant emissions

Observations of fumigant and pesticide emissions are needed for multiple public health and environmental protection mandates. The aerodynamic gradient method (ADM) is commonly used to measure fumigant and pesticide emissions. However, the ADM may over estimate emissions compared to other micrometeorological and modeling approaches, which would increase uncertainty over the true flux estimate. Different studies with ADM have also used multiple differing transport functions that relate concentration gradients to emissions. Therefore, we tested different and more recent transport functions to try to correct the anticipated observed higher values with ADM using observations from two sites in California, USA. We evaluated different transport functions against eddy covariance observations and found that using the functions developed by Högström (1996) corrected the ADM values to be in line with other observational methods. For the Fresno experiment, cumulative emission masses from the ADM- Högström functions were within 7% of other approaches while the Pruitt function was >15% higher. Applying the Högström functions to a series of previous fumigation experiments in California saw reductions in the ADM observations of >25% for cumulative mass emissions. The results indicate that the Högström functions should be used for future ADM experiments in the absence of more robust transport factors for local meteorological conditions. The results also illustrate how previous ADM observations could be corrected to reduce uncertainty in flux emissions estimates.

Modeling variation in 1,3-dichloropropene emissions due to soil conditions and applicator practices

The fumigant 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D) is widely used for control of soil-borne pests and pathogens, but post-application emissions may lead to off-site transport and possible human exposure. The fraction of applied material emitted into the atmosphere and the magnitude of peak emissions are two quantities used by regulators to protect public health and are typically based on field estimates. However, the current body of field studies covers only a narrow subset of the broad range of application practices and soil conditions under which applications are performed and is subject to an unknown level of estimation error. Here we use the HYDRUS model to estimate cumulative and peak emissions of 1,3-D for 17 application methods used in California. The simulations are parameterized with soils data from 16 fields sampled immediately prior to fumigation in order to establish a representative distribution of initial soil conditions. The results demonstrate a wide range in cumulative emissions, with mean losses of initial applied mass between 10 and 58% over two weeks depending on application method. Emissions are highly variable in response to soil conditions, with coefficients of variation ranging from 16 to 54% for cumulative flux and 26 to 67% for peak three-hour flux depending on application method. The simulated distributions show similarities to the available field study estimates in terms of the mean and spread of distributions, particularly in the case of cumulative emissions, indicating that the modeling approach could be a useful tool to support regulatory decision-making in cases where field data is limited.

Rapid and complete dehalogenation of halonitromethanes in simulated gastrointestinal tract and its influence on toxicity

Halonitromethanes (HNMs) as one typical class of nitrogenous disinfection byproducts in drinking water and wastewater are receiving attentions due to their high toxicity. This study applied a simulator of the human gastrointestinal tract to determine the dehalogenation processes of trichloronitromethane, bromonitromethane and bromochloronitromethane for the first time. Influence of digestion process of HNMs on gut microbiota and hepatotoxicity was further analyzed. Results showed that the three HNMs were rapidly and completely dehalogenated in the gastrointestinal tract, especially in the stomach (2 h retention Time) and small intestine (4 h retention Time). Mucin, cysteine, pancreatin and bile salts in the digestive juice played major roles in the dehalogenation process. HNMs and their dehalogenation products in the resulting fluids of stomach induced the highest toxicity followed by those in intestine and colon, exhibiting dose-dependent effects. Although most HNMs were degraded in the stomach and small intestine, residual HNMs entered into colon changed the microbial community. Abundance of several genera, such as Bacteroides, Lachnospiraceae_unassigned and Lactobacillus had high correlation with exposure concentration of HNMs. This study sheds new light on dehalogenation and toxic processes of HNMs by oral exposure, which provides basic data for their human health risk assessment.

Residential proximity to agricultural fumigant use and respiratory health in 7-year old children

OBJECTIVES

To examine the relationship between residential proximity to agricultural fumigant use and respiratory symptoms and lung function in 7-year old children.

METHODS

Participants were 294 children living in the agricultural Salinas Valley, California and enrolled in the Center for the Health Assessment of Mothers and Children Of Salinas (CHAMACOS) study. We obtained information on respiratory symptoms and asthma medication use from maternal questionnaires and children performed spirometry to determine the forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV₁), forced vital capacity (FVC), and forced expiratory flow 25-75% (FEF_25-75) at 7-years of age. We estimated agricultural fumigant use within 3, 5 and 8 km of residences during pregnancy and from birth to age 7 using California's Pesticide Use Report data. We evaluated the association between prenatal and postnatal residential proximity to agricultural use of methyl bromide, chloropicrin, metam sodium and 1,3-dichloropropene with respiratory symptoms and use of asthma medication with logistic regression models and continuous lung function measurements with linear regression models adjusted for confounders.

RESULTS

There were no significant associations between residential proximity to use of fumigants and respiratory symptoms or use of asthma medication. We did not observe any adverse relationships between residential proximity to fumigant use and lung function measurements. Unexpectedly, we observed suggestive evidence of improved FEV₁ and FEF_25-75 with higher use of methyl bromide and chloropicrin during the prenatal period. For example, for each 10-fold increase in methyl bromide use during the prenatal development period we observed higher FEV₁ (β = 0.06 L/s; 95% CI: 0.00, 0.12) and higher FEF_25-75 (β = 0.15 L/s; 95% CI: 0.03, 0.27). Maternal report of child allergies (runny nose without a cold during the previous year) modified the relationship between FEV₁ and prenatal proximity to methyl bromide use (p = .07) and we only observed higher FEV₁ among children without allergies (β = 0.08 L/s; 95% CI: 0.02, 0.14 for a 10-fold increase in methyl bromide use during the prenatal period).

CONCLUSIONS

Residential proximity to agricultural fumigant use during pregnancy and childhood did not adversely affect respiratory health in the children through 7 years of age. These findings should be explored in larger studies.

Heterogeneous atmospheric degradation of pesticides by ozone: Influence of relative humidity and particle type

In the atmosphere pesticides can be adsorbed on the surface of particles, depending on their physico-chemical properties. They can react with atmospheric oxidants such as ozone but parameters influencing the degradation kinetics are not clear enough. In this study the heterogeneous ozonolysis of eight commonly used pesticides (i.e., difenoconazole, tetraconazole, cyprodinil, fipronil, oxadiazon, pendimethalin, deltamethrin, and permethrin) adsorbed on hydrophobic and hydrophilic silicas, and Arizona dust at relative humidity ranging from 0% to 80% was investigated. Under experimental conditions, only cyprodinil, deltamethrin, permethrin and pendimethalin were degraded by ozone. Second-order kinetic constants calculated for the pesticides degraded by ozone ranged from (4.7 ± 0.4) × 10^-20 cm³ molecule^-1 s^-1 (pendimethalin, hydrophobic silica, 55% RH) to (2.3 ± 0.4) × 10^-17 cm³ molecule^-1 s^-1 (cyprodinil, Arizona dust, 0% RH). Results obtained can contribute to a better understanding of the atmospheric fate of pesticides in the particulate phase and show the importance of taking humidity and particle type into account for the determination of pesticides atmospheric half-lives.

Simulating emissions of 1,3-dichloropropene after soil fumigation under field conditions

Soil fumigation is an important agricultural practice used to produce many vegetable and fruit crops. However, fumigating soil can lead to atmospheric emissions which can increase risks to human and environmental health. A complete understanding of the transport, fate, and emissions of fumigants as impacted by soil and environmental processes is needed to mitigate atmospheric emissions. Five large-scale field experiments were conducted to measure emission rates for 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D), a soil fumigant commonly used in California. Numerical simulations of these experiments were conducted in predictive mode (i.e., no calibration) to determine if simulation could be used as a substitute for field experimentation to obtain information needed by regulators. The results show that the magnitude of the volatilization rate and the total emissions could be adequately predicted for these experiments, with the exception of a scenario where the field was periodically irrigated after fumigation. In addition, the timing of the daily peak 1,3-D emissions was not accurately predicted for these experiments due to the peak emission rates occurring during the night or early-morning hours. This study revealed that more comprehensive mathematical models (or adjustments to existing models) are needed to fully describe emissions of soil fumigants from field soils under typical agronomic conditions.

Effect of fumigation with chloropicrin on soil bacterial communities and genes encoding key enzymes involved in nitrogen cycling

Chloropicrin (CP) is a potential alternative for methyl bromide as a soil fumigant given that the use of methyl bromide has become limited. However, little is known about how fumigation with CP affects the condition of the soil microbial community. In this study, 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and quantitative PCR were combined to investigate the effect of CP on soil bacterial community. In total, 938,922 effective reads were obtained from 18 samples and clustered into 58,662 operational taxonomic units at a similarity cut-off of 97%. Both approaches showed that the primary structure of bacterial community in soil did not significantly change at the phylum level after fumigation, but CP had a significant impact on the abundance of the bacterial microbiome that was recovered and identified. Additionally, bacterial community diversity decreased significantly, and there was a shift in the predominant populations. Staphylococcus, Actinomadura, Acinetobacter and Streptomyces significantly decreased in number or disappeared, and Bacteroides, Lachnoclostridium, Pseudoalteromonas, Colwellia, Idiomarina and Cobetia became the new predominant populations. In addition, some species associated with biodegradation, such as Sphingomonas spp. and Rhodococcus spp., significantly increased in number. The abundance of ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) were significantly inhibited, yet the abundance of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) significantly increased, and denitrification was significantly promoted. These changes in bacterial flora can considerably impact soil function and health and lead to negative effects on the environment surrounding fumigated soils, indicating the need for proactive risk management. Our study provides useful information for environmental safety assessments of CP in China.

Effect of surface application of ammonium thiosulfate on field-scale emissions of 1,3-dichloropropene

Soil fumigation is important for food production but has the potential to discharge toxic chemicals into the environment, which may adversely affect human and ecosystem health. A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of applying ammonium thiosulfate fertilizer to the soil surface prior to fumigating with 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D). The ammonium thiosulfate solution was applied as a spray with minimal water to minimize the effect on emissions from saturating (e.g. sealing) the soil pores with water. Two independent data sets were collected for determining the emission rate. One data set was used with three micrometeorological approaches: aerodynamic, integrated horizontal flux and theoretical profile shape; the other dataset with two indirect, back calculation methods that used the CALPUFF and ISCST3 dispersion models. Using the five methodologies, the 1,3-D emission rate was obtained for 16days. The maximum emission rates ranged from 7 to 20μgm^-2s^-1, the maximum 24-hour averaged emission rates ranged from 5 to 13μgm^-2s^-1, and the total 1,3-D emissions ranged from 12 to 26%. Comparing to fumigation without ammonium thiosulfate spray revealed that emissions were reduced from 3% (CALPUFF) to 29% (ADM). Using a simulation model, ammonium thiosulfate spray would be expected to reduce emissions by almost 21%. These data provide evidence that emissions of 1,3-D can be reduced by spraying ammonium thiosulfate fertilizer on the soil surface prior to soil fumigation, and provides another emission-reduction strategy to those recently reported (e.g., deep injection, water seals and organic amendments).

Effects of biochar on the emissions, soil distribution, and nematode control of 1,3-dichloropropene

Emissions of volatile soil fumigant 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D) from soil to air are a significant concern in relation to air quality, and cost-effective strategies to reduce such emissions are urgently required by growers to help them comply with increasingly stringent regulations. In this work, application of a rice husk-derived biochar to the surface of a sandy loam soil chamber reduced soil-air emissions of 1,3-D from 42% in a control (no biochar) to 8% due to adsorption onto the biochar. This adsorbed 1,3-D showed a potential for re-volatilization into air and solubilization into the soil-liquid phase. Biochar at the soil surface also reduced soil-gas concentrations in the upper soil; based on the determination of concentration-time values, this may limit 1,3-D-induced nematode control in the upper soil. In batch studies, the mixing of biochar into the soil severely limited nematode control; 1,3-D application rates around four times greater than the maximum permissible limit would be required to give nematode control under such conditions. Therefore, the use of biochar as a surface amendment, while showing an emission reduction benefit, may limit pest control during subsequent fumigations if, as seems probable, it is plowed into the soil.

Products and mechanisms of the heterogeneous reactions of ozone with commonly used pyrethroids in the atmosphere

The heterogeneous reactions of gas-phase ozone and two pyrethroid pesticides, deltamethrin and permethrin, which are the most frequently applied insecticides today, has been investigated. Tentative identifications of heterogeneous ozonolysis products of both pesticides reveal that the reaction mechanisms differ and are mainly influenced by the presence of the cyano moiety at the α-position of deltamethrin (pyrethroid type II). The mechanism study also suggests the important role of water. Finally, several of the degradation products emerged from the ozonolysis of deltamethrin and permethrin may pose further health and environmental hazard due to their higher toxicity, such as phosgene for permethrin, and bromophosgene, 3-phenoxybenzaldehyde (3-PBA) and fulminic acid for deltamethrin. The results obtained in this study can contribute to better describe the atmospheric fate of pesticides in the particle phase.

The persistence of pesticides in atmospheric particulate phase: An emerging air quality issue

The persistent organic pollutants (POPs) due to their physicochemical properties can be widely spread all over the globe; as such they represent a serious threat to both humans and wildlife. According to Stockholm convention out of 24 officially recognized POPs, 16 are pesticides. The atmospheric life times of pesticides, up to now were estimated based on their gas-phase reactivity. It has been only speculated that sorption to aerosol particles may increase significantly the half-lives of pesticides in the atmosphere. The results presented here challenge the current view of the half-lives of pesticides in the lower boundary layer of the atmosphere and their impact on air quality and human health. We demonstrate that semivolatile pesticides which are mostly adsorbed on atmospheric aerosol particles are very persistent with respect to the highly reactive hydroxyl radicals (OH) that is the self-cleaning agent of the atmosphere. The half-lives in particulate phase of difenoconazole, tetraconazole, fipronil, oxadiazon, deltamethrin, cyprodinil, permethrin, and pendimethalin are in order of several days and even higher than one month, implying that these pesticides can be transported over long distances, reaching the remote regions all over the world; hence these pesticides shall be further evaluated prior to be confirmed as POPs.