PESTICIDE-RESIDUE LEVELS IN SOILS AND CROPS FROM 37 STATES, 1972 - NATIONAL SOILS MONITORING PROGRAM .4.

  • 1 January 1979
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 12  (4) , 209-229
Abstract
Residue data from the 1972 (federal year-73) [USA] National Soils Monitoring Program are summarized. Composite samples of agricultural soil and mature crops were colected from 1483 of the 1533 selected 4 ha sites in 37 states. Analyses were performed for organochlorine and organophosphorus compounds, trifluralin and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB); analysis for atrazine was performed only when pesticide application data indicated current year use. Organochlorine pesticides were detected in 45% of the soil samples. The most frequently detected compound was the insecticide dieldrin, found in 27% of all soil samples. Other compounds detected, in order of frequency, included DDT, aldrin, chlordane and heptachlor epoxide, found, respectively, in 21, 9, 8 and 7% of all soil samples. Crop samples were collected from 727 sites. All were analyzed for organochlorines; analyses were performed for organophosphates and atrazine only when pesticide application data indicated current year use. For all crops, 40% of the samples contained detectable levels of organochlorines and 10% contained detectable levels of organophosphates. Atrazine was not detected.

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