ABSTRACT
Pentachloronitrobenzene (PCNB) is used as an intermediate, herbicide, fungicide for seed and soil treatment, and as a slime inhibitor in industrial waters. PCNB released to soil is not expected to leach extensively. In a anaerobic soil, PCNB loss was principally by conversion to pentachloroaniline. PCNB has been found in drinking water, well water, crop land and nursery soils, spinach leaves, cheese, fruits, ground grains, leaf and stem vegetables, nuts, and oilseed byproducts. Numerous soil fate studies have been conducted on PCNB. The exponential decrease of PCNB concentration in the water phase was due to volatilization, adsorption to seston, absorption by biota and subsequent sedimentation as detritus. Sunlight had no pronounced effect on PCNB upon exposure for progressively longer periods of time in solution, on thin layer plates, or on soil. The sorption of PCNB to organic particulate matter in water will decrease the significance of volatilization.
