South Florida Water Management District ambient pesticide monitoring network: 1992 to 2007

• Published in: Environmental monitoring and assessment Vol. 182; no. 1-4; pp. 485 - 508
• Main Author: Pfeuffer, Richard J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.11.2011; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Applied sciences; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Atrazine; Atrazine - analysis; Biological and medical sciences; Canals; Contaminated sediments; Continental surface waters; DDE; Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene - analysis; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Ecology; Ecotoxicology; Endosulfan; Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics; Environment; Environmental Management; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental protection; Environmental testing; Exact sciences and technology; Floods; Florida; Fresh Water - chemistry; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fungicides; Geologic Sediments - chemistry; Government Programs; Herbicides; Insecticides; Laboratories; Monitoring/Environmental Analysis; Natural water pollution; Nitrous oxide; PCB; Pesticide residues; Pesticides; Pesticides - analysis; Pollution; Pollution, environment geology; Polychlorinated biphenyls; Quality control; Sediment samplers; Sediments; Soil and water pollution; Soil science; Studies; Surface water; Toxicity; Trends; Water management; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water pollution; Water Pollution, Chemical - statistics & numerical data; Water quality; Water supply; Water treatment and pollution; Florida; United States; North America; America; United States > US; South Florida; Sediment; Pesticides; Surface water; Agricultural chemical product; Insecticide; DDE; Metabolite; Endocrine disruptor; Sediments; Herbicide; Persistent organic pollutant; Chemical pollution; Surveillance; Organochlorine compounds; Measuring network; Organic compounds; Atrazine
• ISSN: 0167-6369; 1573-2959
• DOI: 10.1007/s10661-011-1892-2

The South Florida Water Management District has collected surface water and sediment samples for analysis of over 80 pesticides since 1992. Residues of atrazine and DDE-p,p ′ are nearly ubiquitous throughout the sampling area. Surface water concentrations of atrazine at nine of 14 selected monitoring locations exhibited a downward trend and none of the detected concentrations exceeded established levels of concern. Seventy-five percent of the sampled locations had average sediment residues of DDE-p,p ′ at levels that may impact sediment-dwelling organisms. Monitoring locations with the highest average DDE-p,p ′ concentrations (based on detected values) and the highest percentage of pesticide detections did not exhibit consistent trends. Some locations exhibited increasing trends while trends at other locations showed a decrease in concentrations. Additionally, specific location concentrations for ethion, diazinon, and endosulfan documented periods of surface water quality exceedances. However, product label changes and grower education have substantially contributed to the reduced number of exceedances over time.