EVALUATION OF SELECTED PESTICIDES IN NORTH CAROLINA SURFACE WATER SUPPLIES: INTAKE STUDY

• Published in: Journal of the American Water Resources Association Vol. 36; no. 1; pp. 75 - 85
• Main Authors: Holman, Robert E., Leidy, Ross B., Walker, Ashlee E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.02.2000; American Water Resources Association
• Subjects: drinking water; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics; enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA); Exact sciences and technology; Freshwater; Hydrology; Hydrology. Hydrogeology; pesticides; Pollution, environment geology; runoff; surface water; USA, North Carolina; water quality; Water resources; North Carolina; United States; detection; runoff; mass spectra; water supply; pollution; North America; gas chromatography; samples; surface water; drainage basins; hydrochemistry; water quality; atrazine; pesticides; water resource management; annual average; drinking water
• ISSN: 1093-474X; 1752-1688
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2000.tb04250.x

Over a 16-month period beginning in March 1995, 12 water-supply intakes in North Carolina were monitored for 11 pesticides. All water-supply intakes were from surface waters located in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain regions. Solid-phase extraction cartridges were used to extract the pesticides of interest, which are tabulated. Results showed that atrazine, metolachlor, and 2,4-D were found more frequently and at higher concentrations than any other pesticides evaluated. Increased concentrations were noted earlier in the planting season, especially for 2,4-D. Pesticides were detected more frequently in smaller watersheds than in larger ones. The pesticide residue values detected in North Carolina were much lower than those detected in a similar study conducted in the Midwest.