Abstract
An integrated chemical and biological approach for the quality assessment of freshwater resources in a vineyard area of the ‘Alentejo’ region (South Portugal) is presented. This includes analysis to 11 pesticide compounds and whole toxicity testing on algae and crustaceans. Simazine, terbuthylazine, terbutryn, desethylatrazine and chlorpyrifos were the most frequently detected pesticides in water collected from wells and drainage channels. Mixtures of up to three compounds in different qualitative combinations were also found. The quality standards for individual pesticides (0.1 μg L − 1) and pesticides-total (0.5 μg L − 1) were exceeded in some samples. However, their maximum concentrations were lower than the WHO guidelines, the USEPA health advisory values and the environmental quality standards for priority substances applicable to surface water. In five samples, the herbicides terbuthylazine and terbutryn and the insecticide chlorpyrifos did not pass the toxicity exposure ratio (TER) trigger values specified for aquatic organisms (algae, Daphnia and fish). Maximum toxic effects on Daphnia magna (100%) and Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata (82.56%) were determined in groundwater samples, while in surface water, no toxicity was observed. Concerning effects on Heterocypris incongruens in sediment samples collected at the drainage channels, mortality and growth inhibition values were below 38%. Pro-active management of the use of pesticides is recommended for implementing at the farm and catchment level to reduce inputs into ground- and surface water.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Explore related subjects
Discover the latest articles, news and stories from top researchers in related subjects.Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Almeida, C., Mendonça, J. J. L., Jesus, M. R., & Gomes, A. J. (2000). Sistemas aquíferos de Portugal Continental. Instituto da Água.
Bacci, E. (1994). Ecotoxicology of organic contaminants. Boca Raton: CRC.
Bacci, E., & Gaggi, C. (1993). Simple models for ranking pesticide mobility from soils. In Paper presented at the IX symposium on pesticide chemistry. Mobility and degradation of xenobiotics. Italy: Piacenza.
Barbash, J. E., & Resek, E. A. (1997). Pesticides in groundwater. Distribution, trends, and governing factors. Boca Raton: CRC.
Batista, S. (2003). Exposição da água subterrânea a pesticidas e nitratos em ecossistemas agrícolas do Ribatejo e Oeste e da Beira Litoral. PhD thesis, Technical University of Lisbon.
Batista, S., Silva, E., Cerejeira, M. J., & Silva-Fernandes, A. M. (2001). Exposure of ground water to alachlor, atrazine and metolachlor in maize areas of Ribatejo and Oeste (Portugal). Toxicology and Environmental Chemistry, 79, 223–232.
Batista, S., Silva, E., Galhardo, S., Viana, P., & Cerejeira, M. J. (2002). Evaluation of pesticide contamination of ground water in two agricultural areas of Portugal. International Journal of Environmental Analytical Chemistry, 82(8–9), 601–609.
Cerejeira, M. J. (1993). Estudo da distribuição e destino final dos pesticidas no ambiente numa abordagem integrada. Caso da atrazina na Zona Agrária da Chamusca. PhD thesis, Technical University of Lisbon.
Cerejeira, M. J., Pereira, T., & Silva-Fernandes, A. (1998). Use of new microbiotests with Daphnia magna and Selenastrum capricornutum immobilized forms. Chemosphere, 37(14–15), 2949–2955.
Cerejeira, M. J., Pereira, T., Silva-Fernandes, A., & Brito, F. (1999). Preliminary toxicity evaluation of water from rice fields using cost-effective microbiotests. Toxicology and Environmental Chemistry, 69, 373–380.
Cerejeira, M. J., Silva, E., Batista, S., Trancoso, A., Centeno, M. S. L., & Silva-Fernandes, A. (2000). Simazine, metribuzine and nitrates in ground water of agricultural areas of Portugal. Toxicology and Environmental Chemistry, 75, 245–253.
Cerejeira, M. J., Silva-Fernandes, A., Viana, P., & Bacci, E. (1995a). Atrazine and nitrate levels in the ground water of irrigation wells in the agricultural area of Chamusca (Portugal). Toxicology and Environmental Chemistry, 49, 123–128.
Cerejeira, M. J., Silva-Fernandes, A., Bacci, E., & Matos, J. (1995b). Atrazine and nitrates in the drinking ground water of the Chamusca agricultural area (Portugal). Toxicology and Environmental Chemistry, 51, 153–160.
Cerejeira, M. J., Viana, P., Batista, S., Pereira, T., Silva, E., Valério, M. J., et al. (2003). Pesticides in Portuguese surface and ground waters. Water Research, 37, 1055–1063.
Claver, A., Ormad, P., Rodríguez, L., & Ovelleiro, J. L. (2006). Study of the presence of pesticides in surface waters in the Ebro river basin (Spain). Chemosphere, 64, 1437–1443.
EC (1997). Council Directive 97/57/EC of 22 September 1997 establishing Annex VI to Directive 91/414/EEC concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market. Official Journal L 265 of 27.9.1997, pp. 87–109.
EC (1998). Council Directive 98/83/EC of 3 November 1998 on the quality of water intended for human consumption. Official Journal L 330 of 05.12.1998, pp. 0032–0054.
EC (2000). Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000, establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy. Official Journal L 327 of 22.12.2001, pp. 0001–0073.
EC (2001). Commission Directive 2001/59/EC of 6 August 2001 adapting to technical progress for the 28th time Council Directive 67/548/EEC on the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions relating to the classification, packaging and labelling of dangerous substances. Official Journal L 225 of 21.08.2001, pp. 0001–0333.
EC (2002). Commission Decision 2002/657/EC implementing Council Directive 96/23/EC concerning the performance of analytical methods and the interpretation of results. Official Journal L 221 of 17.08.2002, pp. 8–36.
EC (2006). Directive 2006/118/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2006 on the protection of groundwater against pollution and deterioration. Official Journal L 372 of 27.12.2006, pp. 19–31.
EC (2007). Commission staff working document. Accompanying document to the Proposal for a Council Regulation on the common organisation of the market in wine and amending certain regulations. Impact assessment. SEC (2007) 893/2.
EC (2008). Directive 2008/105/EC of European Parliament and Council on environmental quality standards in the field of water policy, amending and subsequently repealing Council Directives 82/176/EEC, 83/513/EEC, 84/156/EEC, 84/419/EEC, 86/280/EEC and amending Directive 2000/60/EC. Official Journal L 348 of 24.12.2008, pp. 84–97.
Eurostat (2007). The use of plant protection products in the European Union. Data 1992–2003. Eurostat, European Commission.
Fielding, M., Barceló, D., Helweg, S. A., Galassi, S., Torstensson, L., van Zoonen, P., et al. (1991). Pesticides in ground and drinking water. Water Pollution Research Report, 27. Brussels: Commission of the European Communities.
FOOTPRINT (2009). The FOOTPRINT pesticide properties database. http://sitem.herts.ac.uk/aeru/footprint/. Accessed July 2009.
Francés, A., Paralta, E., Fernandes, J., & Ribeiro, L. (2001). Development and application in the Alentejo region of a method to assess the vulnerability of groundwater to diffuse agricultural pollution: The susceptibility index. In Paper presented at the 3rd international conference on future groundwater resources at risk, Lisbon, 25–27 June.
Funari, E., Donati, L., Sandroni, D., & Vighi, M. (1995). Occurrence in groundwater and use of pesticides. In M. Vighi & E. Funari (Eds.), Pesticide risk in groundwater (pp. 3–44). Boca Raton: CRC.
Gustafson, D. I. (1989). Groundwater ubiquity score: A simple method for assessing pesticide leachability. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 8(4), 339–357.
Hornsby, A. G., Wauchope, R. D., & Herner, A. E. (1996). Pesticide properties in the environment. New York: Springer.
ISO (1996). Water quality-determination of the inhibition of the mobility of Daphnia magna Straus (Cladocera, Crustacea)-Acute toxicity test. ISO 6341, International Organisation for Standardisation.
ISO (2004). Water quality-freshwater algal growth inhibition test with unicellular green algae. ISO 8692, International Organisation for Standardisation.
Kolpin, D. W., Barbash, J. E., & Gilliom, R. J. (1998). Occurrence of pesticides in shallow groundwater of the United States: Initial results from the National Water-Quality Assessment Program. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 32(5), 558–566.
Larson, S. J., Capel, P. D., & Majewski, M. S. (1997). Pesticides in surface water. Distribution, trends, and governing factors. Chelsea: Ann Arbor.
Lobo Ferreira, J. P. C., & Oliveira, M. M. (1995). Caracterização dos recursos hídricos subterrâneos e mapeamento DRASTIC da vulnerabilidade dos aquíferos de Portugal. In J. P. C. Lobo Ferreira, M. M. Oliveira, & P. Ciabatti (Eds.), Desenvolvimento de um inventário das águas subterrâneas de Portugal (pp. I7–I315). Lisbon: LNEC, DH, GIAS.
Mackay, D. (2001). Multimedia environmental: The fugacity approach (2nd ed.). Boca Raton: Lewis.
Pereira, T. (2003). Impacte da utilização de pesticidas em ecossistemas orizícolas sobre a qualidade de águas superficiais. PhD thesis, Technical University of Lisbon.
Pereira, T., Cerejeira, M. J., Brito, F., & Morbey, M. A. (2000a). Laboratory studies with microbiotests to evaluate the acute toxicity to aquatic biota of herbicides used in Portuguese paddy fields. In G. Persoone, C. Janssen, & W. De Coen (Eds.), New microbiotests for routine toxicity screening and biomonitoring (pp. 495–500). New York: Kluwer.
Pereira, T., Cerejeira, M. J., & Espírito-Santo, J. (2000b). Use of microbiotests to compare the toxicity of water samples fortified with active ingredients and formulated pesticides. Environmental Toxicology, 15(5), 401–405.
Recenseamento Geral da Agricultura (RGA) (2009). Principais Resultados Alentejo. www.ine.pt. Accessed July 2009.
Scheidleder, A., Grath, J., Winkler, G., Strk, U., Koreimann, C., Gmeiner, C., et al. (1999). Groundwater quality and quantity in Europe. Copenhagen: European Environmental Agency.
Silva, E., Batista, S., Viana, P., Antunes, P., Serôdio, L., Cardoso, A. T., et al. (2006). Pesticides and nitrates in groundwater from oriziculture areas of the ‘Baixo Sado’ region (Portugal). International Journal of Environmental Analytical Chemistry, 86(13), 955–972.
SOP (Standard Operational Procedure) (2003). Daphtoxkit F ™ magna, crustacean toxicity screening test for freshwater. Mariakerke (Gent): MicroBioTests Inc.
SOP (Standard Operational Procedure) (2004a). Algaltoxkit F ™ , freshwater toxicity test with microalgae. Mariakerke (Gent): MicroBioTests Inc.
SOP (Standard Operational Procedure) (2004b). Ostracodtoxkit F, chronic ‘direct contact’ toxicity test for freshwater sediments. Mariakerke (Gent): MicroBioTests Inc.
Tomlin, C. D. C. (2006). The pesticide manual (14th ed.). Hampshire: BCPC.
U.S. EPA (2006). Drinking water standards and health advisories. Washington: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water, EPA 822-R-06–013.
WHO (2008). Guidelines for drinking-water quality. Incorporating the first and second addendum to third edition, Vol. 1, Recommendations. Geneva: World Health Organization.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Silva, E., Batista, S., Caetano, L. et al. Integrated approach for the quality assessment of freshwater resources in a vineyard area (South Portugal). Environ Monit Assess 176, 331–341 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-010-1586-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-010-1586-1