Nevertheless, I think the author dealt with the issue of pesticides in the environment too shallowly. My guess is that many folks worry the that pesticides may be used haphazardly and unnecessarily. Let s adress the public s concerns by reassuring them that we are responsible pesticide users and that we are also concerned about what happens to pesticides in the environment. Understanding the processes that remove pesticides from the environment will not only help us use them safely, but also more effectively. This article will focus on the fate of herbicides in the environment, but the mechanisms discussed are valid for all pesticides.
Drift is the movement of spray droplets or even granular pesticides to non-target sites.
Some chemicals are volatile, which means they may be lost as a gas. The potential for volatilization increases with increasing temperature. With the exception of soil fumigants, we generally want to prevent volatilization of herbicides to prevent loss of activity. This is the reason why the herbicide Casoron is used in the winter and fall seasons. Probably most rapidly dissipate in the air to non-toxic levels.