The use on transgenic crops of glyphosate,for which the structural formula is show in Chapter 7,Figure 7.14, has made it a uniquely important product, the most widely produced pesticide in the world. Glyphosate binds strongly to soil colloid and is readily degraded by soil microorganisms. The properties of glyphosate make it difficult to measure in soil and water samples. The molecule is very polar and soluble in water, but not soluble in organic solvents commonly used to extract pollutants for analysis. It binds strongly to metal ions as well as organic, mineral, and clay solids making its isolation difficult. Because of glyphosate's structural similarity to naturally occuring amino acids and other plant biomolecules, there are numerous interferences in its determination.