ABSTRACT
The dominant source of carbofuran emission to the environment is the application of the compound as an insecticide. The rate of degradation of carbofuran in soil is greatly increased by pretreatment with carbofuran. Occupational and general population exposure to carbofuran may occur by inhalation and dermal routes, particularly in the vicinity of aerial spraying of carbofuran as an insecticide. The major metabolites of carbofuran in soil are 3-hydroxycarbofuran, 3-ketocarbofuran and carbofuran phenol. Since carbofuran appears to be susceptible to degradation by soil microbes, aquatic microbes may also be able to degrade carbofuran. Carbofuran was rapidly lost from cornfield soils both with and without a history of carbofuran use, but virtually no loss was observed when the soil was autoclaved. General population exposure to carbofuran may occur by inhalation and dermal routes in the vicinity of aerial spraying of carbofuran as an insecticide.
