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Volatilisation and competing processes computed for a pesticide applied to plants in a wind tunnel system
Author(s) -
Leistra Minze,
Wolters André,
van den Berg Frederik
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
pest management science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.296
H-Index - 125
eISSN - 1526-4998
pISSN - 1526-498X
DOI - 10.1002/ps.1542
Subject(s) - volatilisation , pesticide , environmental science , wind tunnel , wind speed , canopy , calibration , soil science , computation , biological system , environmental chemistry , atmospheric sciences , environmental engineering , meteorology , chemistry , agronomy , mathematics , ecology , biology , engineering , statistics , physics , organic chemistry , algorithm , geology , aerospace engineering
BACKGROUND: Volatilisation of pesticides from crop canopies can be an important emission pathway. In addition to pesticide properties, competing processes in the canopy and environmental conditions play a part. A computation model is being developed to simulate the processes, but only some of the input data can be obtained directly from the literature. RESULTS: Three well‐defined experiments on the volatilisation of radiolabelled parathion‐methyl (as example compound) from plants in a wind tunnel system were simulated with the computation model. Missing parameter values were estimated by calibration against the experimental results. The resulting thickness of the air boundary layer, rate of plant penetation and rate of phototransformation were compared with a diversity of literature data. The sequence of importance of the canopy processes was: volatilisation > plant penetration > phototransformation. CONCLUSION: Computer simulation of wind tunnel experiments, with radiolabelled pesticide sprayed on plants, yields values for the rate coefficients of processes at the plant surface. As some input data for simulations are not required in the framework of registration procedures, attempts to estimate missing parameter values on the basis of divergent experimental results have to be continued. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry