Environmental distribution of acetochlor, atrazine, chlorpyrifos, and propisochlor under field conditions

The environmental behavior, movement, distribution, persistence, and runoff by rainfall of the pesticides acetochlor, atrazine, chlorpyrifos, and propisochlor were studied under field conditions during a five-month period at normal weather conditions. The pesticide concentrations in soil depths of 0-5 and 5-20 cm, and in sediment and runoff water samples (collected from an artificial reservoir built in the lower part of the experimental plot) were measured every second week and following every runoff event. The contamination of a stream running across the lowest part of the plot was also monitored. The weather conditions were also recorded at the experimental site. The pesticide residues were quantified by a capillary gas chromatograph equipped with a nitrogen phosphorus selective detector (GC-NPD). There was a consistent decrease in pesticide residues in the 0-5 cm soil layer with time after spaying. At 140 days after treatment only atrazine and chlorpyrifos were present; acetochlor and propisochlor were not detected in this soil layer. Atrazine and chlorpyrifos in the soil at a depth of 5-20 cm were detectable during the whole experimental interval, whereas acetochlor and propisochlor concentrations were below the limit of detection. Pesticide losses by the surface runoff process and the contamination of the stream were closely related to the time of rainfall elapsed after treatment and amount of rain at the experimental plots. Losses were primarily dependent on surface rainfall volume and intensity. The maximum detected residues of atrazine and acetochlor in stream water were 1 order of magnitude higher than the maximum residue limit specified by the European Union (EU) for environmental and drinking water (0.1 microg/L for individual compounds and 0.5 microg/L for total pesticides). Chlorpyrifos and propisochlor were not detected in this matrix.