ABSTRACT Information about environmental behaviour of pesticides is needed to assess their risks. This work had the aim to determine sorption and degradation of the insecticide thiamethoxam in two depths (0-30 and 50-70 cm) of two agricultural soils in the State Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, as well as to evaluate its leaching and dissipation in the field. Thiamethoxam concentration profiles until 100 cm depth were obtained during the period of 2007, 2008 and 2009. The low values of Freundlich coefficient for equilibrium of thiamethoxam for both soils and depths show its low affinity with the soil solid phase. Thiamethoxam degradation in both soils and depths was quite slow, with half-lives between 96 and 618 days. In the field, a fast thiamethoxam dissipation was observed just after application. Thiamethoxam leaching was restricted to 50 cm depth, indicating low potential to contaminate groundwater in the studied soils.
environmental behaviour; pesticides; dissipation
