Trifluralin

Belonging to the dinitroaniline class of herbicides, trifluralin was first registered with the Environmental Protection Agency nearly 50 years ago (1963). It is a common commercially available herbicide which has been used extensively as a preemergent herbicide on soybeans, cotton crops, and some ornamental plants. As a preemergent herbicide, trifluralin must be applied prior to the appearance of weed seedling sprouts. Once applied, trifluralin must be incorporated into the soil through irrigation or mechanical means. Although reported to be moderately to highly toxic to a variety of aquatic and insect life as well as some larger vertebrates such as rabbits and dogs, trifluralin is characterized by a relatively low toxicity in humans. Trifluralin is not readily absorbed via the gastrointestinal tract or through dermal contact. Even exposure via inhalation has shown little toxicity in human short of bronchiole irritation. The use of trifluralin has been banned in the European Union in the early 2000s due to reports of its persistence in soil and groundwater.