ABSTRACT
Pronamide is released directly to the environment during its use as a herbicide to control weeds and grasses. The leaching of pronamide from soil will decrease with increase in soil organic carbon content, clay content and cation exchange property of soil. Occupational exposure by dermal and inhalation routes related to the use of pronamide as a herbicide may be significant. Transformation of pronamide in soil occurs by initial cyclization of the compound to yield 2-(3,5-dichlorophenyl)-4,4-dimethyl-5-methyleneoxazoline which is subsequently hydrolyzed to N-(1,1-dimethylacetonyl)-3,5-dichlorobenzamide. Depending on soil and climatic conditions, the degradation half-life of pronamide may range from 10 to 112 days, but a half-life of 40 days may be more common under field conditions. Adsorption experiments with 18 different soil types have shown that pronamide adsorption increases proportionately with an increase in organic matter content. Occupational exposure by dermal and inhalation routes related to the use of pronamide as a herbicide may be significant.
