Abstract
Surface water pollution (as a result of pesticides) is a major problem, due to the negative impact on human health and ecosystems. The excessive use and persistence of surface water pollution in the environment may present a notable risk. In this article, DDT and its metabolite DDE hereafter, DDT–DDE), and a commonly used pesticide (herbicide) glyphosate, were analyzed in agricultural drainage waters; afterward, a spatial analysis was applied to identify potential areas of high pesticide occurrence in an agricultural Mediterranean coastal floodplain. The spatial distribution of banned (Directive 79/117/EEC), yet highly persistent pesticides in the environment, such as DDT (and metabolites), was compared with the (currently and mostly used) glyphosate. A sequence of various point patterns, spatial analysis methods, and non-parametric statistics, were computed to elucidate the pesticide pollution hotspots. As a reference value, almost 70% of the water samples were above the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline for DDT (and metabolites) for drinking water (1 µg/L), with a maximum of 6.53 µg/L. Our spatial analysis approach revealed a significantly high concentration of DDT–DDE clusters close to wetlands in natural parks, where mosquitos are abundant, and pesticides persist and flow to the surface waters from soil and groundwater pools. Conversely, glyphosate concentrations were below WHO guidelines; their spatial patterns were related more toward current agricultural uses in the southern sector of the study area.
Highlights
IntroductionIntense research was conducted to evaluate the acute and chronic toxicological effects of pesticides in humans and in other types of living organisms [2,3,4,5], their persistence in the environment, and their bioaccumulation in trophic chains [2,6,7]
Pesticides play an important role in agriculture, in preventing pests and improving yields, as well as in public health management, in regard to controlling diseases transmitted by insects [1]
Lower citrus crops (CLC2018 level 3, code 222, fruit trees and berry plantations) surround lower salinity drainage channels in the Segura River channels, while tolerant plants, e.g., melon or date palms, are irrigated with higher salinity water, mainly proceeding from the Vinalopó River channels. This spatial pattern is coherent with the spatial pattern of soil electrical conductivity, which we previously found in the study area [23,39]
Summary
Intense research was conducted to evaluate the acute and chronic toxicological effects of pesticides in humans and in other types of living organisms [2,3,4,5], their persistence in the environment, and their bioaccumulation in trophic chains [2,6,7]. Based on this scientific knowledge, regulations and agreements have proliferated, advocating for greater control of pesticide production and use in order to minimize its present and future impacts [8,9]
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