The objective of this work was to evaluate the leaching of aldicarb in macrolysimeters containing undisturbed soil material of a distroferric Red Latosol and of a distrofic Red Yellow Latosol, under field conditions. A granular formulation of the aldicarb pesticide was applied at the recommended rate, at 5 cm depth, in soil columns of 1.0 m diameter by 0.45 and 0.90 m long, at the beginning of the rainy season. The volume of percolated water in each lysimeter was measured during the subsequent five months, and water samples were analysed by gas-liquid chromatography for the determination of the pesticide residues concentration. Residues of aldicarb and its toxic transformation products, aldicarb sulfoxide and aldicarb sulfone, were jointly determined as aldicarbe sulfone. There was high mobility of aldicarb residues in soils, although their fairly rapid degradation in the soil resulted in the leaching of relatively low amounts below the depth of 0.45 m (4.9% for the distroferric Red Latosol and 5.9% for the distrofic Red Yellow Latosol). In 0.90 m lysimeters, aldicarb residues were detected only in the percolated water of the distroferric Red Latosol. Groundwater contamination risk in these soils, pointed out as too deep, is remote.
pesticide; contamination; groundwater
