TY - JOUR

T1 - Environmental monitoring and risk assessment in a tropical Costa Rican catchment under the influence of melon and watermelon crop pesticides

AU - Rodríguez-Rodríguez, Carlos E.

AU - Matarrita, Jessie

AU - Herrero-Nogareda, Laia

AU - Pérez-Rojas, Greivin

AU - Alpízar-Marín, Melvin

AU - Chinchilla-Soto, Cristina

AU - Pérez-Villanueva, Marta

AU - Vega-Méndez, Dayana

AU - Masís-Mora, Mario

AU - Cedergreen, Nina

AU - Carazo-Rojas, Elizabeth

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2021 Elsevier Ltd

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - A monitoring network was established in streams within a catchment near the Costa Rican Pacific coast (2008–2011) to estimate the impact of pesticides in surface water (84 samples) and sediments (84 samples) in areas under the influence of melon and watermelon production. A total of 66 (water) and 47 (sediment) pesticides were analyzed, and an environmental risk assessment (ERA) was performed for four taxa (algae, Daphnia magna, fish and Chironomus riparius). One fungicide and seven insecticides were detected in water and/or sediment; the fungicide azoxystrobin (water) and the insecticide cypermethrin (sediments) were the most frequently detected pesticides. The insecticides endosulfan (5.76 μg/L) and cypermethrin (301 μg/kg) presented the highest concentrations in water and sediment, respectively. The ERA revealed acute risk in half of the sampling points of the melon-influenced area and in every sampling point from the watermelon-influenced area. Safety levels were exceeded within and around the crop fields, suggesting that agrochemical contamination was distributed along the catchment, with potential influence of nearby crops. Acute risk was caused by the insecticides chlorpyrifos, cypermethrin and endosulfan to D. magna, fish and C. riparius; the latter was the organism with the overall highest/continuous risk. High chronic risk was determined in all but one sampling point, and revealed a higher number of pesticides of concern. Cypermethrin was the only pesticide to pose chronic risk for all benchmark organisms. The results provide new information on the risk that tropical crops pose to aquatic ecosystems, and highlight the importance of including the analysis of sediment concentrations and chronic exposure in ERA.

AB - A monitoring network was established in streams within a catchment near the Costa Rican Pacific coast (2008–2011) to estimate the impact of pesticides in surface water (84 samples) and sediments (84 samples) in areas under the influence of melon and watermelon production. A total of 66 (water) and 47 (sediment) pesticides were analyzed, and an environmental risk assessment (ERA) was performed for four taxa (algae, Daphnia magna, fish and Chironomus riparius). One fungicide and seven insecticides were detected in water and/or sediment; the fungicide azoxystrobin (water) and the insecticide cypermethrin (sediments) were the most frequently detected pesticides. The insecticides endosulfan (5.76 μg/L) and cypermethrin (301 μg/kg) presented the highest concentrations in water and sediment, respectively. The ERA revealed acute risk in half of the sampling points of the melon-influenced area and in every sampling point from the watermelon-influenced area. Safety levels were exceeded within and around the crop fields, suggesting that agrochemical contamination was distributed along the catchment, with potential influence of nearby crops. Acute risk was caused by the insecticides chlorpyrifos, cypermethrin and endosulfan to D. magna, fish and C. riparius; the latter was the organism with the overall highest/continuous risk. High chronic risk was determined in all but one sampling point, and revealed a higher number of pesticides of concern. Cypermethrin was the only pesticide to pose chronic risk for all benchmark organisms. The results provide new information on the risk that tropical crops pose to aquatic ecosystems, and highlight the importance of including the analysis of sediment concentrations and chronic exposure in ERA.

KW - Pesticide monitoring

KW - Risk assessment

KW - Sediment

KW - Surface water

KW - Tropical crops

U2 - 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117498

DO - 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117498

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 34261216

AN - SCOPUS:85107552320

VL - 284

JO - Environmental Pollution

JF - Environmental Pollution

SN - 0269-7491

M1 - 117498

ER -