Pesticide residues in the aquatic environment of banana plantation areas in the North Atlantic Zone of Costa Rica

Abstract

Abstract-A study of pesticide residues in surface waters and sediments was undertaken in the Suerte River Basin, Costa Rica, that drains into the Tortuguero conservation area. Samples were collected in streams, packing plants, and the Suerte River. The most frequently measured compounds in surface water samples were the fungicides thiabendazole, propiconazole, and imazalil; the nematicides terbufos and cadusafos; and the insecticide chlorpyrifos. At the conservation area, propiconazole was detected in 43% of the samples at concentrations ranging from 0.05 to 1.0 g/L. In 25% of the samples collected at this site, a nematicide (cadusafos, carbofuran, or ethoprophos) was detected (0.06-6.2 g/L). According to this study, most of the insecticide-nematicides analyzed pose a risk for acute or chronic toxicity to aquatic organisms based on the exposure levels and toxicity values from the literature. Ametryn, imazalil, and thiabendazole also exceeded the calculated chronic risk ratio. The most frequently detected compounds in sediments were thiabendazole, chlorpyrifos, imazalil, and propiconazole. The occurrence was higher in the packing plants and streams. Pesticides in waters and sediments of Tortuguero conservation area could pose a threat to this wetland and an additional stress to the endangered species that inhabit this area. More information is needed regarding the distribution and stability of pesticides in the lagoon system as well as of the effects of mixtures of low levels of pesticides and their degradation products on representative species of the Tortuguero ecosystem. Meanwhile, all measures to reduce the emissions of pesticides from the banana plantations and the packing plants should be taken.

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Composition, Distribution, and Characterization of Suspected Endocrine-Disrupting Pesticides in Beijing GuanTing Reservoir (GTR)

“…However, the data for their residues in water or in sediments were scarce, which can be attributed to their lesser persistence. These currently used pesticides were monitored in river ecosystems (e.g., in Central American) and demonstrated that these substances are also relevant contaminants in the aquatic environment (Castillo et al 2000;Castilho et al 2000;Volker Laabs et al 2002).…”

Screening 31 endocrine-disrupting pesticides in water and surface sediment samples from Beijing Guanting reservoir

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