Biomaterial Database

Monitoring pesticides in agricultural and urban soils of the United States. 1979

A E Carey

Organochlorine pesticides were monitored annually in the major agricultural areas of the United States from 1968 to 1973. Results show that agricultural soils are widely contaminated with low levels of organochlorine residues. Residue concentrations are decreasing as applications of the compounds decrease. Annual monitoring of urban areas since 1969 has demonstrated that urban soils generally have higher pesticide residue concentrations than do agricultural soils in the same locations. High concentrations of mercury, cadmium, and lead have also been observed in urban soils.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007306	Insecticides	Pesticides designed to control insects that are harmful to man. The insects may be directly harmful, as those acting as disease vectors, or indirectly harmful, as destroyers of crops, food products, or textile fabrics.	Insecticide
D008628	Mercury	A silver metallic element that exists as a liquid at room temperature. It has the atomic symbol Hg (from hydrargyrum, liquid silver), atomic number 80, and atomic weight 200.59. Mercury is used in many industrial applications and its salts have been employed therapeutically as purgatives, antisyphilitics, disinfectants, and astringents. It can be absorbed through the skin and mucous membranes which leads to MERCURY POISONING. Because of its toxicity, the clinical use of mercury and mercurials is diminishing.
D010573	Pesticide Residues	Pesticides or their breakdown products remaining in the environment following their normal use or accidental contamination.	Pesticide Residue,Residue, Pesticide,Residues, Pesticide
D002104	Cadmium	An element with atomic symbol Cd, atomic number 48, and atomic weight 112.41. It is a metal and ingestion will lead to CADMIUM POISONING.
D006843	Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated	Hydrocarbon compounds with one or more of the hydrogens replaced by CHLORINE.	Chlorinated Hydrocarbon,Chlorinated Hydrocarbons,Organochlorine Compound,Chlorine Compounds, Organic,Organochlorine Compounds,Compound, Organochlorine,Compounds, Organic Chlorine,Compounds, Organochlorine,Hydrocarbon, Chlorinated,Organic Chlorine Compounds
D012989	Soil Pollutants	Substances which pollute the soil. Use for soil pollutants in general or for which there is no specific heading.	Soil Pollutant,Pollutant, Soil,Pollutants, Soil
D014481	United States	A country in NORTH AMERICA between CANADA and MEXICO.