Modeling the Influence of Sorption and Transformation on Pesticide Leaching and Persistence

Pesticide leaching to ground water at 1 m depth and pesticide persistence in the plow layer were calculated with a mathematical model for a sandy soil continuously cropped with maize (Zea mays L.) and exposed to weather conditions in a temperate climate. The model assumes first-order transformation, equilibrium sorption (Freundlich equation), and passive plant uptake. Pesticide leaching and persistence were calculated as a function of pesticide sorption and of transformation rate