From Strawberry Fields to the Ozone Layer -- The Methyl Bromide Story

U.S. Geological (USGS) scientist Laurence G. Miler, a biogeochemist, gave a public lecture entitle "From Strawberry Fields to the Ozone Layer -- The Methyl Bromide Story," Menlo Park, California, June 24, 2004. The lecture presented an overview on these topics:

• Methyl bromide (CH3Br) is an important agricultural pesticide widely used in growing strawberries and other field crops
• Methyl bromide—much of it from natural sources—is one of the gases potentially contributing to the destruction of Earth’s ozone layer
• No single replacement has been identified for its use in the strawberry fields
• USGS scientists have discovered bacteria that metabolize methyl bromide

More Information on the Lecture

• USGS Western Region Evening Public Lecture Series
• Flyer (pdf)
• Lecture Video ** (wmv)

Related Headlines

• USGS Patents Bioreactors that Treat Nitrate and Methyl Bromide Contamination

More Information on Methyl Bromide (Bromomethane)

• Microbial Biogeochemistry of Aquatic Environments
• Methyl Bromide Phaseout, Ozone Depletion Rules and Regulations, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA)
• Methyl Bromide, Topical and Chemical Fact Sheet, USEPA
• Bromomethane (Methyl Bromide), Integrated Risk Information System, USEPA
• Methyl Bromide (Bromomethane) Hazard Summary, Air Toxics Website, USEPA
• Bromomethane,ToxFAQs, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
• Pesticides in the Atmosphere, USGS Fact Sheet FS-152-95
• Alternatives to Methyl Bromide Soil Fumigation,1999 South Florida Restoration Science Forum
• Methyl Bromide Alternatives Newsletter, U.S. Department of Agriculture

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** Note: To view the archived video, you will need Windows Media Player. Windows Media Player is already installed on most Windows systems (START:/Programs/Accessories/Multimedia/). Mac and Solaris users can download the required software for free.