Pesticides in land and water

About 1 billion pounds of pesticides are applied each year

• Agriculture now accounts for 70 to 80 percent of total pesticide use.

• Most agricultural pesticides are herbicides, which account for about 60 percent of the agricultural use

• Applying pesticides has caused pollution to land and water resource.

http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/circ1225/html/sources.html

Current issues

• Local and regional management of pesticide use can go a long way toward improving water-quality conditions.

http://www.policyalmanac.org/environment/archive/water_nonpoint_source.shtml

Why?

• Streams and groundwater in basins with significant agricultural or urban development almost always contain complex mixtures of nutrients and pesticides.

What are the mixtures?

• Chemicals in current use • Chemicals in historically use.(E.x: DDT )• Chemical breakdown products

Land use relates to chemicals/nutrients applied.

• Types • Concentrations

Examples: - Fertilizers, pesticides applied in agri-cultural and urban areas. - Nutrients from animal and human wastes.

Pesticides contaminate groundwater

• Half of population drink groundwater.• Especially those who live in the agricultural areas,

about 95% population relies upon groundwater for drinking water.

• Pesticides can reach water-bearing aquifers below ground from applications onto crop fields, seepage of contaminated surface water, accidental spills and leaks, improper disposal, and even through injection waste material into wells.

RELATIVE LEVEL OF CONTAMINATION

Urban areas Agriculturalareas Undevelopedareas

Nitrogen Medium Medium-High Low

Phosphorus Medium-High Medium-High Low

Herbicides Medium Low-High No data

Currently usedinsecticides

Medium-High Low-Medium No data

Historically used insecticides

Medium-High Low-high Low

Streams

RELATIVE LEVEL OF CONTAMINATION

Urban areas Agricultural areas

Nitrogen Medium High

Phosphorus Low Low

Herbicides Medium Medium-High

Currently used insecticides Low-Medium Low-Medium

Historically used insecticide Low- High Low-High

Shallow Ground Water

Chemicals can take a long time to appear in groundwater

How to reduce Agrichemical pollutions?

• 1.Mix, apply, store, and dispose agrichemical properly.

2. Follow the instructions on the label properly.

Warnings or caution of statement

Misuse Statement

Re-entry statement

Direction for use

Warnings or caution of statement

• what ways the product may be poisonous. • how to avoid poisoning.• If highly toxic, must inform physicians of the

proper treatment for poisoning.

Degrees of toxicity

Misuse Statement

• To use a pesticide product in any manner inconsistent with its labeling is a violation of federal law.

• How to dispose chemicals and containers

Re-entry statement

• how much time must pass before people can re-enter a treated area without appropriate protective clothing and equipment.

Direction for use

• How to use the product properly within its legal requirements to get the best results.

Reference

• MSU Extension. http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/freepubs/pdfs/UO215.pdf

• Clark County Washington, http://www.clark.wa.gov/recycle/A-Z/Materials/pesticidelabel.html

• USGS, https://water.usgs.gov/edu/pesticidesgw.html

• Policy Almanac, http://www.policyalmanac.org/environment/archive/water_nonpoint_source.shtml

• USGS, http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/circ1225/html/sources.htm