EVALUATION OF THE PESTICIDE-DECONTAMINATION ABILITY OF SOILS

A directly proportional dependence is established between the biomass of soil microorganisms, determined by the substrate-induced respiratio n method, and the constant of the pesticide breakdown rate in the soil . A rapid estimate of the ability of soils to decontaminate themselves according to the magnitude of the biomass of soil microorganisms is p roposed. This value is inversely proportional to the period of practic ally complete breakdown of pesticides and may serve as a quantitative criterion for the pesticide-decontamination ability of soils.