Which degradation term is most associated with a chemical reaction with water?

Which degradation term is most associated with a chemical reaction with water?

• A. Photo-
• B. Microbial
• C. Enzymatic
• D. Chemical

Answer: (D)

The key idea here is recognizing how different degradation pathways are driven. A chemical reaction with water is hydrolysis, which is a chemical change that requires water to break bonds and form new products. In pesticide fate, degradation that arises from such non-biological chemical reactions is categorized as chemical degradation. The other terms describe processes driven by light (photo-), microbes (microbial), or enzymes (enzymatic), none of which specifically imply a reaction with water. So chemical degradation best fits the scenario of a reaction with water.

The key idea here is recognizing how different degradation pathways are driven. A chemical reaction with water is hydrolysis, which is a chemical change that requires water to break bonds and form new products. In pesticide fate, degradation that arises from such non-biological chemical reactions is categorized as chemical degradation. The other terms describe processes driven by light (photo-), microbes (microbial), or enzymes (enzymatic), none of which specifically imply a reaction with water. So chemical degradation best fits the scenario of a reaction with water.