AbstractThe effect of aging (residence time in soil) on dicamba (3,6‐dichloro‐2‐methoxybenzoic acid) and a major metabolite, 3,6‐dichlorosalicylic acid (3,6‐DCSA) sorption was determined in an unamended and a carbon‐amended sandy loam and in a silt loam soil. During the incubation, sequential solvent extraction with 0.01 M calcium chloride solution and aqueous acetonitrile + hydrochloric acid was used to determine the solution and sorbed concentrations of dicamba and 3,6‐DSCA, and sorption coefficients were calculated. Dicamba was weakly sorbed to soil (Kd <0.7). In contrast to some other classes of pesticides, sorption of dicamba did not significantly increase with aging, at least not until <15% of the applied dicamba remained. 3,6‐DSCA was strongly sorbed to soil (Kd >8) and the Kd‐a value increased by a factor of 2–6 during a 28‐day aging period. Addition of a carbon source to the soil had minimal effect on the strength of sorption of aged dicamba. However, it did appear to decrease 3,6‐DSCA availability to soil micro‐organisms; once formed 3,6‐DSCA was not further mineralized. While it appears that sorption can be well characterized for weakly sorbed pesticides using the batch equilibration method with freshly treated soils, this procedure may not be adequate for more strongly sorbed pesticides and their degradates. Copyright © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry