Researchers Study Pesticide Pathways into the Atmosphere By Ann
Perry July 12, 2011 When soil moisture levels increase,
pesticide losses to the atmosphere through volatilization also
rise. In one long-term field study, U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) scientists found that herbicide
volatilization consistently resulted in herbicide losses that
exceed losses from field runoff. Agricultural Research Service
(ARS) soil scientist Timothy Gish and ARS micrometeorologist
John Prueger led the investigation, which looked at the field
dynamics of atrazine and metolachlor, two herbicides commonly
used in corn production. Both herbicides are known to
contaminate surface and ground water, which was primarily
thought to occur through surface runoff. Gish works at the ARS
Hydrology and Remote Sensing Laboratory in Beltsville, Md., and
Prueger works at the agency's National Laboratory for
Agriculture and the Environment in Ames, Iowa. ARS is USDA's
chief intramural scientific research agency, and this work
supports the