Pesticides and their metabolites in European groundwater: Comparing regulations and approaches to monitoring in France, Denmark, England and Switzerland

Explorative Quantitative Nontarget Analysis Reveals Micropollutants in Danish Groundwater

“…Hence, the Danish groundwater quality is annually assessed through the national surveillance program, GRUMO, by monitoring about 53 pesticides and a number of other micropollutants. 7 Groundwater is susceptible not only to chemicals leaching from agricultural activities but also to other possible sources. 8 Due to the rapid expansion of the global population and associated activities, the use of chemical substances is increasing for a range of purposes (e.g., manufacturing, food production, and health care).…”

“…1023 af 29/06/2023), which is aligned with the relevant European Union directive. Danish drinking water is entirely produced from groundwater, with the only treatment being oxidation and sand filtration, and its quality is highly valued by the citizens. − The Danish groundwater aquifers are mainly composed of either fractured limestone and chalk or unconsolidated sands and gravel . To date, around 2500 utilities through waterworks and plants produce and cover Danish drinking water demand by abstracting approximately 400 Mm 3 /year of groundwater .…”

“…However, as Denmark’s arable land is intensively cultivated, the occurrence of pesticides and their degradation products in groundwater raises public concern. Hence, the Danish groundwater quality is annually assessed through the national surveillance program, GRUMO, by monitoring about 53 pesticides and a number of other micropollutants …”

“…Targeted analyses are typically used for monitoring a limited number of environmental pollutants. ,, However, nontarget chemical analysis utilizes the advantages of high-resolution mass spectrometry to explore environmental samples for novel discoveries. For instance, several research studies successfully (tentatively) identified the occurrence of micropollutants from various classes such as pharmaceuticals (e.g., propyphenazone, fluconazole, and sulisobenzone), pesticides (e.g., fluometuron, terbucarb, and DEET), and degradation products (e.g., iopromide TP 643, iopromide TP 701 A, and atrazine-desethyl-desisopropyl) in groundwater wells using LC-HRMS-based nontarget analysis. − Most recently, it was demonstrated that the sensitive nanoflow LC-HRMS analysis technique is capable of providing information on a preselected list of suspected chemicals (e.g., agrochemicals), − yet it also builds on recent cheminformatic advances to go beyond to discover, characterize, and semiquantitate previously unreported pollutants. ,− In connection with increasing technological developments and the associated use of chemicals in human daily activities, several compounds have not yet been addressed in the groundwater system.…”

Pomelo seed oil: Natural insecticide against cowpea aphid

“…However, the continued use of this type of pesticide harms the ecosystem and promotes the emergence of mutants that are resistant to it ( Slater et al., 2012 ; Richardson et al., 2022 ). In addition, the majority of synthetic pesticides are not biodegradable, so when rains wash them away, they could contaminate both freshwater bodies and groundwater ( Gavrilescu, 2005 ; Baran et al., 2022 ). Thus, there is a need to search for alternatives that have limited adverse effects on the environment and are effective against target pests.…”