Endosulfan in soil

Endosulfan enters air, water, and soil when it is manufactured or used as a pesticide. Endosulfan is often applied to crops using sprayers. Some endosulfan in the air may travel long distances before it lands on crops, soil, or water. Endosulfan on crops usually breaks down within a few weeks. Endosulfan released to soil attaches to soil particles. Endosulfan found near hazardous waste sites is usually found in soil. Some endosulfan in soil evaporates into air, and some endosulfan in soil breaks down. However, it may stay in soil for several years before it all breaks down. Rainwater can wash endosulfan that is attached to soil particles into surface water. Endosulfan does not dissolve easily in water. Most endosulfan in surface water is attached to soil particles floating in the water or attached to soil at the bottom. The small amounts of endosulfan that dissolve in water break down over time. Depending on the conditions in the water, endosulfan may break down within 1 day or it may take several months. Some endosulfan in surface water evaporates into air and breaks down. Because it does not dissolve easily in water, only very small amounts of endosulfan are found in groundwater (water below the soil surface for example, well water). Animals that live in endosulfan-contaminated waters can build up endosulfan in their bodies. The amount of endosulfan in their bodies may be several times greater than in the surrounding water. More information on the chemical and physical properties of endosulfan can be found in Chapter 3. More information on its occurrence and fate in the environment can be found in Chapter 5. 

Leung AM, McDonough DM, West CD. 1998. Determination of endosulfans in soil/sediment samples from Point Mugu, Oxnard, CA, using capillary gas chromatography/mass selective detection (CC/MSD). Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 50(l) 85-94. 

Rao DMR, Murty AS. 1980. Persistence of endosulfan in soils. J Agric Food Chem 28 1099-1101. 

D.E. Robinson, A. Mansingh, T.P. Dasgupta, Fate of Endosulfan in Soil and in River and Coastal Waters of Jamaica, in Proceedings of a Symposium Environmental Behavior of Crop Protection Chemicals, IAEA-SM-343/28, Vienna, Austria, 1997, pp. 301-311. 

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See also in sourсe #XX -- [ , ]

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