Factors Controlling the Behavior and Fate of Pesticides in Surface Waters

• Published in: Pesticides in Surface Waters pp. 217 - 234
• Main Authors: Larson, Steven J., Capel, Paul D., Majewski, Michael S.
• Format: Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: CRC Press 2019
• Edition: 1
• Subjects: Water Column; Ground Water; Octanol Water Partition Coefficient; Acetanilide Herbicides; Indirect Photolysis; Aquatic Herbicides; Direct Photolysis; Sediment Water Interface; Benthic Feeding Fish; Hydrologic Simulation Program FORTRAN; Bed Sediments; Pesticide Transformation Products; Vapor Sorption; Surface Water Systems; Phase Transfer Processes; Sorption Distribution Coefficients; Monsanto Company; Atmospheric Deposition; Eurasian Watermilfoil; Mississippi River Basin; Hydraulic Residence Time; Alluvial Aquifer; Surface Waters; Surface Water Bodies
• ISBN: 1575040069; 9781575040066
• DOI: 10.1201/9780429062797-4

Pesticides may enter surface waters directly through runoff, spills, or various effluents. Contamination also may be indirect, with pesticides first entering the atmosphere or ground water, and then transported to surface waters. The methods of application or routes of delivery of pesticides to each source, the important processes involved in transport of pesticides from each source to surface waters, and finally, the relative importance of each source of pesticides to surface waters are examined. Generally, the major source of most pesticides to surface waters is agricultural use. Agricultural use accounts for about 75 percent of total pesticide use in the United States. Pesticides generally move from fields to surface waters in runoff or in drainage induced by rain or irrigation. Pesticide use in forestry represents a significant portion of the total use of a number of pesticides, such as triclopyr, hexazinone, and diflubenzuron. The transformation of a pesticide results in changes in its chemical structure.