U.S. flagAn official website of the United States government
                    Here's how you know **Official websites use .gov**
                            
                            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
 **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                            
                            A **lock** (                            
                              A locked padlock                                                      
                            
                            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Menu Agricultural Research Service
						
                    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 close



Research
                Research Home
                            National Programs
                            Research Projects
                            Scientific Manuscripts
                            International Engagement
                            Scientific Software/Models
                            Databases and Datasets
                            Office of Scientific Quality Review
            Media
                News & Features
                            Multimedia
                            Briefing Room
                            Down on the Farm
                            Press Room
                            Science in Your Shopping Cart
                            Scientific Discoveries
                            Tellus
                            Under the Microscope
            About ARS
                About ARS Home
                            Staff Directory
                            Labs and Research Centers (Map)
                            Headquarter Offices
                            Organizational Chart
                            Employee Services (REE Employees Only)
                            Office of Outreach, Diversity, and Equal Opportunity
            Work With Us
                Work With Us Home
                            ARS Vacancies at USAJOBS
                            Careers at ARS Information
                            Scientific Collaborations
                            Extramural Agreements
                            1890 Faculty Research Sabbatical ProgramSearch small
                    Search
            
            ARS Home
                                About ARS
                                Contact Us




ARS Home Research Publications at this Location





- ARS National Programs
- Search for a scientific manuscript
- Search for a research project
- ARS Software
- Programs and Projects
- Collaborations
- Subjects of Investigation
- Publications

Title:   Author  item
                                            Hapeman, Cathleenitem
                                            McConnell, Lauraitem
                                            Rice, Clifforditem
                                            TORRENTS, ALBA - UNIV OF MDitem
                                            GOEL, ANUBHA - UNIV OF MDitem
                                            Prueger, Johnitem
                                            HARMAN-FETCHO, JENNIFER - FORMERLY USDA/ARSitem
                                            SMITH, RAMONA - FORMERLY USDA/ARSitem
                                            Bialek Kalinski, Krystynaitem
                                            Drakeford, Leticia
  Submitted to: Proceedings of the Workshop on Agricultural Air Quality: State of the Science  
                                    Publication Type: Proceedings
                                    Publication Acceptance Date: 7/16/2005
                                    Publication  Date: 6/4/2006
                                    Citation: Hapeman, C.J., Mcconnell, L.L., Rice, C., Torrents, A., Goel, A., Prueger, J.H., Harman-Fetcho, J.A., Smith, R.D., Bialek Kalinski, K.M., Drakeford, L. 2006. Reducing the risks of pesticide exposure via atmospheric transport. Proceedings of the Workshop on Agricultural Air Quality: State of the Science. 1:674-676.  Interpretive Summary: The fate and transport of agriculturally-significant organic pollutants in the atmosphere is an important national issue. Volatile components and residues bound to dusts may rise into the atmosphere, travel long distances, and be deposited far from the point of origin through various deposition processes, risking contamination of sensitive ecosystems. Examining the environmental fate of agricultural pesticides is complicated by their sporadic and intense application to soils and crops throughout the growing season. Scientists at USDA-ARS have worked with their partners to conduct fundamental research on the atmospheric transport and deposition of semi-volatile organic pesticides at field, watershed, and regional scales. Results analysis of these will assist in identifying the major volatilization pathways from which more effective management practices to mitigate pesticide volatilization can be developed.
                                Technical Abstract: Research concerning the environmental fate and transport of semi-volatile organic pollutants has focused largely on urban/industrial chemicals such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).  In many cases, these chemicals are present at equilibrium in the atmosphere, and their fate may be predicted using models based on partition coefficients.  The study of the environmental fate of agricultural pesticides is complicated by their sporadic and intense application to soils and crops throughout the growing season.  They are structurally more complicated and have more reactive sites compared with industrial pollutants; thus, they are frequently more polar and will degrade more readily and at variable rates.  Agricultural pesticide residues are rarely present at equilibrium concentrations within the environmental compartments of interest:  soil, plants, air and water.  Scientists at USDA-Agricultural Research Service, in collaboration with their partners, have conducted fundamental research on the atmospheric transport and deposition of semi-volatile organic pesticides at field, watershed, and regional scales.  A critical review and synthesis of these studies has revealed the following.  The magnitude and duration of post-application pesticide volatilization is enhanced by high soil moisture and solar radiation (temperature), frequent light precipitation events, and low organic carbon soils.  Riparian areas located adjacent to agricultural fields may serve as a trap for pesticide drift.  Pesticide residues sorbed by the plant canopy can be readily washed off during a precipitation event and be delivered to nearby surface waters.  Studies of regional deposition via precipitation have shown that the Henry’s constant of the pesticide will strongly influence its persistence in the atmosphere.  Ecosystems at high altitudes and located downwind from agricultural regions are particularly vulnerable to atmospherically-derived pesticide residues.  Colder temperatures will decrease pesticide degradation rates, and sensitive species will be exposed to pesticide residues for longer periods of time.  Overall, pesticide residues are present in the atmosphere throughout the year.  Deposition occurs continuously via particulate and gas phase deposition.  Prevention of volatilization is the most efficient way to reduce atmospheric deposition loads and to lessen the impact of agricultural activities on their surrounding ecosystems.


Return to top


Connect with ARS Sign up


ARS Home
                            USDA.gov
                            Plain Writing
                            Policies & Links
                            Civil Rights Statements
                            FOIA
                            Accessibility Statement
                            Privacy Policy
                            Non-Discrimination Statement
                            Quality of Information
                            USA.gov
                            WhiteHouse.gov