Assessment of agricultural pesticide inert ingredient transport following modeling approach: Case study of two formulation agents in Sacramento River watershed

Abstract

This research provides the first assessment of the environmental fate and transport of agricultural pesticide formulation agents following a dynamic modeling approach. Two formulation agents of toxicological concern, Naphthalene and Solvent Naphtha (Petroleum), Heavy Aromatic, were simulated from their usage in commercially-applied pesticides. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was applied to simulate these formulation agents during 2011–2014 in the agriculturally intensive Sacramento River watershed. The sensitivity and uncertainty of some key parameters were analyzed. The predicted transport masses of these formulation agents in surface water were strongly associated with rainfall. While predicted transport masses were quite small at the watershed scale (<0.01% of applied masses), they were 26–31 times higher in certain locales at the subbasin level. Since many formulation agents are widely used in pesticides throughout this and other agriculturally impacted watersheds, their potential risks in the environment need more thorough investigation by modeling and monitoring, especially for areas with heavy usage.