ABSTRACT
Due to the restrictions on the use of 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP) as a nematocide and soil fumigant, little release of DBCP presently occurs. Volatilization is expected to be the primary fate of DBCP near the soil surface; the volatilization half-lives of DBCP were estimated to range between 0.6 days in dry soil with very low soil organic content to 26.2 days in wet soil with relatively high soil organic content. Direct photolysis of DBCP is not expected to occur in the atmosphere. Human exposure is expected to result primarily from ingestion of drinking water containing the compound. Leaching to ground water is also anticipated based upon the demonstrated weak adsorption of DBCP to several soils and reported monitoring data indicating the presence of DBCP in ground water. The half-life of the reaction of DBCP in the vapor phase with photochemically generated hydroxyl radicals in the atmosphere was calculated to be 36 days, based upon a measured rate constant.
