A Ground Water Monitoring Study for Pesticides and Nitrates Associated with Golf Courses on Cape Cod

Abstract

Scientists and regulators in the United States began emphasizing the study of pesticides in ground water in 1979 and 1980. The scientific community began to emphasize the study of nitrates in ground water as a result of fertilization in the mid to late 1970s. By the mid 1980s. tens of thousands of wells were found to contain elevated nitrate concentrations and detectable concentrations of pesticides. Few, if any, of the data were collected from wells associated with the nation's 13,000 golf courses. Golf is popular on Cape Cod, an area that depends on a hydrogeologically vulnerable aquifer system as its principal source of drinking water. Pesticides and fertilizers are applied to golf courses, often at high rates on greens and tees. Therefore the EPA, the Barnstable County government, and several local golf course superintendents collaborated on a study of the impact of golf course turf management on ground water quality. Nineteen monitoring wells were installed upgradient and in greens, tees, and fairways on four golf courses. Selected soil core samples were collected and analyzed. Four to six rounds of ground water samples were collected over one and a half years and analyzed for 17 pesticides and related chemicals; nitrate‐N samples were collected at least monthly. Seven of the 17 chemicals were never detected. The most frequently detected chemical‐dichlorobenzoic acid ‐ probably had been an impurity in herbicide formulations. Chlordane was detected in several wells at concentrations exceeding the health advisory level, perhaps due either to repeated heavy applications coupled with preferential flow of the bound/particulate phase and /or cross contamination during well installation. The results show no cause for concern about use of these currently registered pesticides. Nitrate‐N concentrations were generally below the 10 ppm federal MCL, with some exceptions. Overall, nitrate‐N concentrations decreased in response to lower application rates and use of slow‐release fertilizer formulations.

Development of an Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay for 3,5,6-Trichloro-2-pyridinol. 1. Production and Characterization of Monoclonal Antibodies

“…Concerning TCP, scarce data on its determination in real food or environmental samples have been reported (Cohen et al, 1990). However, a study of human exposure to organophosphates, carried out during 1976-1980, showed the presence of detectable amounts of TCP in 5.8% of urine samples (Kutz et al, 1992), which is consistent with the high occurrence of the parent pesticides in food.…”

‘Ecological land-use complementation’ for building resilience in urban ecosystems

“…For instance, in some cities where air pollution loads are high, it may be unwise to locate further urban development close to agricultural areas to minimize risks of exposing food cultivars to additional pollutants. Potential leakage of pesticides and fertilizers from agricultural fields, and even from golf courses, to surface water and groundwater of adjacent ecosystems (Cohen et al, 1990), may also restrict the applicability of ELC in some cases. In addition, many species groups exist as metapopulations (Hanski and Gilpin, 1991;Hanski, 1998) and need urban green patches as 'stepping stones' and corridors for species movement and for genetic exchange over wider temporal and spatial scales (Simberloff and Cox, 1987).…”

Assessment of surface water quality on three eastern North Carolina golf courses

“…What is the quality of the water, on these courses—water that is used by both people and wildlife? Cohen et al [4] conducted a comprehensive study of the movement of pesticides on golf courses and their impact on groundwater at Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA. Their results indicated that the majority of detections from groundwater samples occurred below greens and tees and tended to decrease with better management practices [4].…”