Legal Standard
EPA Ground Water Protection Criteria
Koc (Soil Organic Carbon Adsorption)
Statutory Definition:
A chemical property reflecting the tendency of a pesticide active ingredient to bind to soil organic carbon particles rather than dissolve in percolating soil water.
Practical Exam Application:
Low Koc values (<300 to 500 mL/g) denote high mobility and severe groundwater aquifer leaching vulnerability, especially in sandy soils with low organic matter.
Official Practice Exam Questions Testing This Concept (2)
Which combination of pesticide chemical properties and soil characteristics represents the HIGHEST risk of groundwater aquifer contamination via leaching?
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How does the soil organic carbon-water partition coefficient (Koc) relate to pesticide leaching risk into groundwater?
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