Pesticides in stream sediment and aquatic biota— Current understanding of distribution and major influences
Year: 2000
Type: report
Abstract: HighlightsOrganochlorine pesticides such as DDT are still detected in many streams today, more than 20 years after their use in agriculture was prohibited.DDT, dieldrin, and chlordane are the pesticides most frequently present in sediment and biota at levels that may be toxic to aquatic life, wildlife, or people.Nationally, levels of most organochlorine pesticides in whole freshwater fish have declined since the 1960s.Organochlorine pesticides continue to enter United States streams from atmospheric deposition and erosion of soils contaminated from past use.Pesticides with moderate-to-low water solubility, and moderate-to-high environmental persistence, have the potential to accumulate in sediment and aquatic biota.More research is needed on pesticides in urban areas, accumulation of currently used pesticides in sediment and aquatic biota, and the toxic and long-term effects of pesticide mixtures on people and wildlife.This report summarizes a comprehensive analysis of existing information on pesticides in bed sediment and aquatic biota of United States rivers and streams: their geographic distribution, sources, trends, environmental fate, and biological significance.It is one of a four-part series that synthesizes current knowledge and understanding of pesticides in the nation's water resources as part of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program. Pesticides in the Hydrologic SystemAbout 1 billion pounds of pesticides are used each year in the United States to control weeds, insects, and other organisms.About 80 percent of this quantity is used in agriculture.Although the use of pesticides has resulted in increased crop production and other benefits, it has raised concerns about potential adverse effects on the environment and human health.In many respects, the greatest potential for unintended adverse effects of pesticides is through contamination of the hydrologic system, which supports aquatic life and related food chains and is used for recreation, drinking water, irrigation, and many other purposes.Water is one of the primary pathways by which pesticides are transported from their application areas to other parts of the environment (see Figure 1).
Source: Fact sheet
DOI: 10.3133/fs09200
Language: English
Subfield: Pollution
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W22145227