Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

Solid-phase extraction in the field is a beneficial and very convenient way of sampling water for pesticide analysis since it excludes voluminous and heavy water bottles and avoids adsorption of lipophilic pesticides on the sampling bottle. In this study atrazine, deltamethrin, diflufenican, esfenvalerate, ethofumesate, fenpropimorph, isoproturon, pirimicarb and terbutylazine were detected at low concentrations in ponds situated in Scania, south of Sweden. Sampling was conducted during May and June, 1999. Deltamethrin, esfenvalerate and lambda-cyhalothrin belong to the pyrethroids which are very lipophilic. These substances are therefore expected to adsorb on particles and other surfaces. No lambda-cyhalothrin was detected and very low concentrations of the other two pyrethroids. Sampling at the surface film of the water body as well as in the sediment might be necessary to detect higher concentrations of the pyrethroids. Nothing was detected on the particle fractions and in future studies it might be necessary to sample larger volumes of water in order to detect any particle bound pesticides. Isoproturon and ethofumesate were the most frequently detected pesticides, both are herbicides. Herbicides are the most regularly and heavily used pesticides. No absolute concentrations of pesticide detections can be reported from this study, since the method first needs more development and improvements. Primarily the performance of the internal standards needs to be improved.