The persistence, penetration, and bark surface contact availability of
chlorpyrifos and its main
degradation products, the oxon and 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol, in elm
bark were investigated after
chlorpyrifos had been applied to the basal 1 m of elm tree trunks for
control of overwintering elm
bark beetles, the vector of Dutch elm disease, at different application
times and sites. The initial
residues of chlorpyrifos in elm bark were 388−444 μg/g. The
initial chlorpyrifos residues dissipated
quickly with half-lives of 1.1−2.9 days for the faster dissipation
phase. The dissipation of chlorpyrifos
during the later period became much slower, with the dissipation
half-lives ranging from 205 to
228 days. No penetration of chlorpyrifos into the cambium layer
and wood tissue was found during
the experimental period of 791 days. In the contact test, the
chlorpyrifos residues transferred from
the treated bark during a 1-min contact were below the acceptable daily
intake for humans
immediately following drying of the treated bark and diminished over
the period of the experiment.
Keywords: Chlorpyrifos; metabolites; residues; elm bark; penetration;
contact availability