My main research activities are centered on understanding the basic reactions undergone by toxic organic chemicals in the soil environment, elucidating the role of soil organic matter and clay minerals on the sorption of pesticides in the soil and the effect of sorption on other processes such as degradation and transport. I am also interested in applying the knowledge gained from these basic studies in more applied studies such as formulating controlled release formulations for agrochemicals based on clays and readily available polymers. I am also involved in studying the pollution of groundwater by toxic organic chemicals from agricultural and industrial activity and methods for preventing such pollution.

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

60. Nasser, A., N. Buchanovsky, Z. Gerstl, U. Mingelgrin (2008) Mineral induced mechanochemical degradation: The imazaquin case, Chemosphere http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2008.11.077

59. Borisover, M., Z. Gerstl, F. Burshtein, S. Yariv, U. Mingelgrin (2008) Organic sorbate-organoclay interactions in aqueous and hydrophobic environments: sorbate-water competition Environ. Sci. Technol. 42:7201-7206.

58. Nasser, A., U. Mingelgrin and Z. Gerstl (2008) The effect of soil moisture on the release of alachlor from alginate based controlled release formulations J. Agric. Food Chem. 54:1322-1327.

57. Sorek, A., N. Atzmon, O. Dahan, Z. Gerstl, L. Kushisin, Y. Laor, U. Mingelgrin, A. Nasser, D. Ronen, L. Tsechansky, N. Weisbrod and E.R. Graber (2007) ‘Phytoscreening': The use of trees for discovering subsurface contamination by VOCs Environ. Sci. Technol. 42:536-542.

56. Rav-Acha, C., L. Groisman, U. Mingelgrin, Z. Kirson, Y. Sasson and Z. Gerstl (2006) A mechanistic study of methyl-parathion hydrolysis by a bifunctional organoclay Environ. Sci. Technol. 41:106-111.

55. Groisman, L., C. Rav-Acha, Z. Gerstl and U. Mingelgrin (2004) Sorption and detoxification of toxic compounds by a bifunctional organoclay. J. Environm. Qual. 33:1930-1936.

54. Sabbah, I., M. Rebhun and Z. Gerstl (2004) An independent prediction of the effect of dissolved organic matter on the transport of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. J. Contamin. Hydrol. 75:55-70.

53. Groisman, L., C. Rav-Acha, Z. Gerstl and U. Mingelgrin (2004) Sorption of organic compounds of varying hydrophobicities from water and industrial wastewater by long- and short-chain organoclays. Appl. Clay Sci. 24:159-166.

52. Dror, I., Z. Gerstl, R. Prost and B. Yaron (2002) Aboitic behavior of entrapped petroleum products in the subsurface during leaching. Chemosphere 49:1375-1388.

51. Polubesova T., S. Nir, Z. Gerstl, M. Borisover, and B. Rubin (2002) Imazaquin sorbed on pillared clay and crystal violet-montmorillonite complexes for reduced leaching in soil. J. Environ. Qual. 31:1657-1664.

50. Wauchope,R.D.; S. Yeh; J.B.H.J. Linders; R. Kloskowski; K. Tanaka; B. Rubin; A. Katayama; W. Kordel; Z. Gerstl; M. Lane; and J.B. Unsworth (2002) Pesticide soil sorption parameters: theory, measurement, uses, limitations and reliability. Pest Management Science 58:419-445.

49. Gerstl, Z. (2002) Quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSARs) as a tool for predicting the sorption of organic chemicals in soils. Israel J. Chem. 42:55-65.

48. Russo,D., J.Zaidel, A.Laufer, and Z.Gerstl (2001) Numerical analysis of transport of trifluralin from a subsurface dripper. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 65(6):1648-1658.

47. Dror, I., Z. Gerstl and B. Yaron (2001) Temporal changes in kerosene content and composition in field soil as a result of leaching. J. Contamin. Hydrol. 48:305-323.

46. Borisover, M., E.R. Graber, F. Bercovich and Z. Gerstl (2001) Suitability of dye-clay complexes for removal of non-ionic organic compounds from aqueous solutions. Chemosphere 44:1033-1040.

45. Dror, I., Z. Gerstl, C. Braester, H. Rubin and B. Yaron (2000) In situ effect of soil amendments on the dynamics of kerosene attenuation. Land Contamination and Reclamation 8:1-8.

44. Dror, I., Z. Gerstl, R. Prost and B. Yaron (2000) Behaviour of neat and enriched volatile petroleum hydrocarbon mixtures in the subsurface during leaching. Land Contamination and Reclamation 8:67-73.

43. Gerstl, Z. (2000) An update on the Koc concept in regard to regional scale management. J. Crop Protec. Res. 19:643-648.

42. Cohen, R., S. Pivonia, D. Shtienberg, M. Edelstein, D. Raz, Z. Gerstl, & J. Katan (1999) Efficacy of fluazinam in suppresion of Monosporascus cannonballus, the causal agent of sudden wilt of melons. Plant Dis. 83:1137-1141.

41. Sluszny, C., E.R. Graber, and Z. Gerstl (1999)Sorption of s-triazine herbicides in organic matter amended soils: fresh and incubated systems.Water, Air, and Soil Pollution 115:395-410.

40. Gerstl, Z., A. Nasser and U. Mingelgrin (1998) Controlled release of pesticides into soils from clay-polymer formulations J. Agric. Food Chem.46:3797-3802.

39. Gerstl, Z., A. Nasser and U. Mingelgrin (1998) Controlled release of pesticides into water from clay-polymer formulations Agric. Food Chem. 46:3803-3809.