One of our readers recently asked “When you fumigate, are all of the gaseous pesticides absorbed into the ground or when the tents come down do the gases get let into the air? Also if the gases are released into the air, do you know how harmful for the environment that can be?”

Good question but it’s a little tricky to answer.

Each fumigation is different; the conditions at the time of the fumigation determine where the gases go and at what percentages. I’ll try to give a very rough summary.

A lot depends on the environmental conditions at the time of the fumigation; the moisture content of the soil and temperature determines the amount of gas absorbed into the soil. The temperature of the air and relative humidity greatly affect the amount absorbed into the atmosphere when the tent is on and also determines the amount of gas injected into the structure.

A little less than 50% of the gas is dissipated when the tent is in place. When the tent is removed, a natural aeration period begins and allows the remaining gas to escape into the environment.

We suggested our reader contact the main fumigant suppliers for a more detailed answer…if you’re looking for some more detail we suggest you contact the companies below.

Dow AgroSciences

Drexal Chemical Company 

Also be aware, don’t expect a definite answer. There’s a lot of debate about the impact on the environment and very little quantifiable data. Much of the pro/con data is interpretive so always consider the source of the information.

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