Abstract
High concentrations of pesticides and toxic metal pollutants in the environment, often present in surface waters in nature, can accumulate in wild animals and are a significant public health concern. Serbia is a moderately developed, south European country in transition, with a long tradition in agriculture, particularly in the northern part, Vojvodina. Our study aimed to assess the presence of pesticides and to measure concentrations of toxic metals in the district of Backi Petrovac, Vojvodina. Water samples were analyzed from canals, ditches, fish from the canals and wild animals caught in the Backi Petrovac district. We identified nine pesticides in water samples. Of all detected pesticides, one was a hormonal disruptor. There were no pesticides in animals, fish and organs in a concentration above the limit of detection (LOD) in observed periods. The concentrations of toxic metals detected in superficial water (Cd, Pb, Hg, As, Mn, Cu) were below the permitted limits, as well as the concentrations of Cd, Pb, Hg, As and Mn in the whole bodies of fish. Concentrations in kidneys and livers of wild animals (rabbit and roe deer) were below the permitted limits, with the exception of cadmium, whose concentrations in some animal samples were above the permitted limit. Based on the obtained results, we concluded that in the developed agricultural region unencumbered by heavy industry, pollution by pesticides and heavy metals can be controlled.
Highlights
Contemporary economies and agriculture generate large amounts of waste [1]
Metolachlor and nicotinoids were approved in Serbia at the time of sampling, but not in the EU
We examined the presence of pesticides and heavy metals in surface waters, fish and wild animal samples in an agricultural environment unburdened by nearby industry in the northern part of Serbia
Summary
Contemporary economies and agriculture generate large amounts of waste [1]. While in developed countries there are strict rules in waste management, in less developed countries this domain does not adequately follow the development. The amount of toxic waste that pollutes the soil, aquatic systems and endangers animals and plants is consistently rising [2]. The presence of pesticides and heavy metals in water is one of the primary environmental indicators, in agricultural areas. High concentrations can severely affect fauna and are a significant public health concern [3,4]. Pesticides are indisputably necessary to increase agricultural production, many of them are toxic to living organisms. States limit by law the presence of pesticide residues in water, land
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