Abstract
Vegetable production systems are characterized by intense pesticide use, yet the effects on the surrounding environment are largely unknown and need to be studied. Given this knowledge gap, the objective of this work is to determine the impact of horticulture on a representative watercourse by conducting an integrated study of the occurrence and concentration of pesticides in bottom sediments and their relation to lethal and sublethal effects on benthic fauna. Two sampling campaigns were conducted during seasons of low and high pesticide application in five sites along the Carnaval creek, located in the peri-urban area of La Plata City (Buenos Aires, Argentina). The samples were tested for 36 pesticide compounds by GC–MS and LC-MS, and whole-sediment laboratory toxicity tests were performed using the native amphipod Hyalella curvispina. The results showed a general but variable distribution in the concentrations detected along the stream. For each sampling campaign (first/second), the total pesticide loads, measured as the sum of herbicides, insecticides and fungicides, were 1080/2329, 3715/88, and 367/5ngg−1 dw, respectively. Lethal and sublethal effects were observed in both sampling campaigns. In order to correlate both sets of results, data were assessed by multivariate analysis, including principal component analysis. The observed toxicity was considered to be mainly due to insecticides; thus, horticultural practices have an impact on nearby watercourses and can potentially endanger the benthic fauna. This is the first study in Argentina to assess the impact of pesticides on aquatic environments close to horticultural production areas.
Highlights
The extensive monoculture of grains and oilseeds is the main agricultural activity in ArgentinaT.M
In the Argentine pesticide market, herbicides account for 86.8% of total sales, while insecticides account for 6.2%, and fungicides account for only 2.7% (PwC, 2014). This represents the sum of pesticides in extensive agriculture and horticulture, the most used insecticides and fungicides are the same for both agricultural activities, and they are being more heavily used in horticulture than herbicides (DP, 2015)
Precision, accuracy, and detection and quantification limits (DL and QL) for instrumental analysis were acceptable in concordance with Bonansea et al (2013) and equivalent to those obtained in other studies where QuEChERS methodology was employed (Brondi et al, 2011; Masiá et al, 2015)
Summary
The extensive monoculture of grains and oilseeds (maize, wheat, and soybeans) is the main agricultural activity in ArgentinaT.M. The number of pests attacking those crops is limited and the compounds used to control them are few (mainly glyphosate, chlorpyriphos, and cypermethrin). In the Argentine pesticide market, herbicides (glyphosate, 2,4D, atrazine) account for 86.8% of total sales, while insecticides (cypermethrin, chlorpyriphos, lambda-cyhalothrin) account for 6.2%, and fungicides (epoxiconazole, tebuconazole, metconazole) account for only 2.7% (PwC, 2014). This represents the sum of pesticides in extensive agriculture and horticulture, the most used insecticides and fungicides are the same for both agricultural activities, and they are being more heavily used in horticulture than herbicides (DP, 2015)
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