Movement and degradation of aldicarb residues in the saturated zone under citrus groves on the Florida ridge

Abstract

A 1.7-ha section of citrus grove near Lake Hamilton was the site of a three-year field study designed to monitor the movement and degradation of the nematicide and insecticide aldicarb in the central ridge area of Florida. Soil cores were used to monitor the fate of aldicarb residues in the unsaturated zone and over 2,000 groundwater samples were collected from 174 monitoring wells to measure horizontal and vertical transport of aldicarb residues in the saturated zone. A simple saturated zone model was used to estimate the degradation rate of aldicarb residues and extrapolate findings to other ridge areas. The results of the study suggest that in the saturated zone aldicarb residues degrade at a rate corresponding to a half-life of approximately eight months. The predominantly horizontal movement of groundwater at this site limits aldicarb residues to the upper three to five meters of the saturated zone. Field data from this site together with unsaturated and saturated zone simulations suggest that in this area of Florida current restrictions on aldicarb used near potable wells are adequate to protect drinking water supplies.