ABSTRACT
Dicamba is released directly to the environment by its application as a herbicide for the control of annual broadleaf weeds. Dicamba is very mobile in most soils and significant leaching is possible. General population exposure to dicamba may occur through oral consumption of contaminated drinking water. Herbicidal application of dicamba releases the compound directly to the environment and is therefore the primary environmental emission source. Microbial degradation is probably the major fate process for the removal of dicamba from soil under most conditions. Dicamba is stable to hydrolysis and oxidation under conventional conditions. Using thin-layer chromatography, dicamba had measured Rf values of 0.96-1.00 in silt loam, silty clay loam, and sandy loam soils which is indicative of very high soil mobility. Dicamba may be emitted in the atmosphere particularly during slow combustion of wood treated with the herbicide at temperatures less than 500 °C.
