ABSTRACT
Dichlone may be released to the air or in wastewater during its formulation and use as a fungicide on fruits, vegetables, field crops and seed as well as for treating textiles and as a catalyst. Dichlone has been widely used as a seed dressing fungicide in Nigeria. Dichlone degrades in moist and air-dried soil with half-lives of 1 day and somewhat under 3 months, respectively. Dichlone emitted to the air will be largely as dust or aerosols and be subject to gravitational settling. Dichlone is considered to be resistant to degradation according to the biodegradability test of the Japanese Ministry of International Trade and Industry which utilizes an inoculum derived from soil, surface water and sewage. Dichlone has been shown to be immobile in silty clay loam using soil thin layer chromatography as well as in soil columns and in soil drench tests. Dichlone was detected, not quantitated, in one ground water sample in California.
