Pesticide Residues in the Danube River Basin in Serbia – a Survey during 2009–2011

Abstract

AbstractIn this work, a total of 38 pesticides was monitored in the Danube River Basin in Serbia during ten sampling campaigns in 2009, 2010, and 2011. The quantification of analytes was performed using procedures based on solid‐phase extraction (SPE) followed by LC–MS/MS or GC–MS. In general, low pesticide levels were found, except for the samples collected during May–June of 2010 and June of 2011. During this period, pesticide application is high and rainfall was described as extremely above normal or above normal, leading to very pronounced runoff and very high detected pesticide levels. At the sampling site Smederevo (the Danube River), high concentrations of terbuthylazine (200 ng L−1) and metolachlor (150 ng L−1) were found. In the Danube tributary Morava, high concentrations of carbendazim (269 ng L−1), atrazine (188 ng L−1), terbuthylazine (180 ng L−1), and acetochlor (110 ng L−1) were detected, while in the tributary Tisa only terbuthylazine was present at high levels (130 ng L−1). In other sampling campaigns, pesticides were present at low concentrations. The most frequently found pesticide was carbendazim, probably due to slow degradation rate in environment.