Water Pollution by Organic Pesticides

Abstract

There are more than 500 organic pesticides in some 54,000 formulations. These pesticides occur in water supplies in very low concentrations as the result of accidental or deliberate discharge of wastewaters and of direct application. Potable water supplies are affected through impairment of the taste and odor quality. Some of these organic pesticides can persist for long periods in ground and surface waters and soils where they resist biologic decomposition. In general, activated carbon appears to be the most effective method of reducing most organic pesticide levels in water supplies. Chemical coagulation and oxidation are inefficient or impractical. In this article, information available from the literature and from the authors' own studies on the organic pesticide pollution of water has been organized according to types of organic pesticides, incidences of pollution, biologic and chemical factors affecting persistence of pesticides in water, the effects of pesticides on potable‐water quality, and the removal of pesticides by various treatment methods.