Abstract
The accuracy of simulating the trifluralin concentrations in a clay soil and in a loamy sand soil with the modified CREAMS/GLEAMS model has been tested by comparing them with observed values. The simulated concentrations in the soils were in good agreement with those observed in the first weeks after application. In the long run the simulated concentrations decreased faster than the observed ones. In addition, the sensitivity of the model to variations of two pesticide parameters has been analyzed: the pesticide adsorption coefficient for organic carbon and the pesticide degradation rate expressed as half-life in soil. The variation in the two pesticide parameters had a considerable effect on the model output. Especially large were the effects of the adsorption coefficient on the pesticide concentration in the percolated water leaving the root zone.
Highlights
The pesticides used in agriculture are a potential source ofpollution of groundwater and surface waters
The observed and simulated trifluralin concentrations in each soil layer in the clay soil and in the loamy sand soil are presented in Table 2 and Figure 2
There is only very limited field data on pesticide leaching available in Finland suitable for testing the pesticide component of the modified CREAMS/ GLEAMS model
Summary
The pesticides used in agriculture are a potential source ofpollution of groundwater and surface waters. In a review published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD Environment Directorate 1989), seven models concerning the fate ofchemicals in soils have been described: two Dutch models, PSM and ONZAT, the German model EXSOL, and four American models, PRZM, SESOIL-4, SOLUTE and ATI23D. All these models describe the movement of water and solutes through a (vertical) soil column and/or in groundwater, but none of them considers erosion caused by overland flow. Pesticide transport to surface waters via erosion should be considered when assessing the environmental impacts ofpesticides
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