AbstractIn order to accurately predict the fate and behaviour of herbicides following application to hard surfaces, an understanding of the processes involved is required. Previous studies have demonstrated that herbicides with a low soil organic carbon partition coefficient (Koc) are preferentially removed from concrete and asphalt surfaces. It is possible, therefore, that sorption may play a role in retaining herbicides to hard surfaces. This study provides an indication of the extent to which herbicides may sorb to concrete and asphalt, and examines the results in the light of other research to identify the significance of sorption in describing herbicide losses after application. There was measurable sorption of herbicides to concrete and asphalt although this was limited compared with that to soils, especially for concrete. An exponential relationship between experimentally derived values of Kp and literature values of Koc for asphalt was established (r2 = 0.931); there was a weaker relationship for concrete (r2 = 0.606). The experimentally derived Kp values could be used to enhance the prediction of herbicide loss to receiving waters following application. It is probable that the fate of herbicides applied to concrete and asphalt surfaces depends more heavily on physical processes than is the case in soils. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry