Pre-emergence herbicides used in urban and agricultural settings: dissipation and ecological implications

Abstract Herbicides are widely recognized as the most cost-effective solution for weed control, but their extensive use in both urban and agricultural settings raise serious concerns about nontarget effects. We assessed the possible hazards associated with pre-emergence herbicides such as dimethenamid–P, metazachlor, and pyroxasulfone, which are frequently applied in both urban and agricultural soils. The dissipation rate constant values ( k day −1 : 0.010–0.024) were positively linked to total organic carbon (TOC), silt, clay, soil pH, and Al and Fe oxides, but negatively correlated with sand content. In contrast, half-life values (DT 50 : 29–69 days) of the herbicides showed negative correlations with TOC, clay, silt, soil pH, and Fe and Al oxides, while sand content showed a positive…