Aldicarb Transport in Drained Coastal Plain Soil

Abstract

The pesticide aldicarb is extremely soluble in water, which causes it to be mobile in ground water. A field study was conducted to monitor the fate of aldicarb in a poorly drained soil in the North Carolina coastal plain. The research site consisted of three experimental plots with three water-table management treatments: conventional drainage, controlled drainage, and subirrigation. Surface and subsurface drainage rates were measured continuously and water-table elevations were monitored in each plot. A total of 651 soil and water samples were collected over a six-month period. Aldicarb degraded to nontoxic compounds with a half-life of approximately 7 days. The maximum aldicarb loss through drainage outflow and surface runoff was 0.02% and 0.05% of total applied aldicarb, respectively.