U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists completed a variety of groundbreaking studies on the occurrence, fate, and transport of triazine herbicides and their degradates throughout the 1990s. The results of these studies have been summarized and condensed into a USGS report and a book chapter providing, for the first time, a comprehensive snapshot of a decade of this research.
The studies include:
- The development of methods for the analysis of triazine herbicides and their degradates in water.
- A surface-water reconnaissance that documented a "spring flush" of herbicide concentrations in rivers.
- A ground-water reconnaissance involving more than 300 wells across the Midwestern United States that showed degradates of herbicides were more commonly found than the parent compounds.
- Tracking the transport of triazines through drinking-water reservoirs; results showed herbicide concentrations remaining high throughout most of the year in reservoirs where the water has long residence times.
- Research on the occurrence of triazines in precipitation that documented the atmospheric transport of trazine herbicides on a regional scale.
The publications provide one-stop access for information that can be used for the scientific underpinnings of policy, land management, and regulatory decision making regarding triazine herbicides and their degradates in the environment.
References
Scribner, E.A., Thurman, E.M., Goolsby, D.A., Meyer, M.T., Battaglin, W.A., and Kolpin, D.W., 2005, Summary of significant results from studies of triazine herbicides and their degradation products in surface water, ground water, and precipitation in the midwestern United States during the 1990s: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2005-5094, 33 p.
Thurman, E.M., and Scribner, E.A., 2008, A decade of measuring, monitoring, and studying the fate and transport of triazine herbicides in groundwater, surface water, reservoirs, and precipitation by the U.S. Geological Survey (Chapter 30), in LeBaron, H.M., McFarland, J., and Burnside, O., eds., The Triazine Herbicides: Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Elsevier Science, ISBN:978-0-444-51167-6.
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
New Study Measures Crop Bactericide, Nitrapyrin, in Iowa Streams
Neonicotinoid Insecticides Documented in Midwestern U.S. Streams
Common Weed Killer is Widespread in the Environment
Measuring POEA, a Surfactant Mixture in Herbicide Formulations
Understudied Fungicides Common in U.S. Streams Draining Agricultural Land
Glyphosate Herbicide Found in Many Midwestern Streams, Antibiotics Not Common
- Overview
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists completed a variety of groundbreaking studies on the occurrence, fate, and transport of triazine herbicides and their degradates throughout the 1990s. The results of these studies have been summarized and condensed into a USGS report and a book chapter providing, for the first time, a comprehensive snapshot of a decade of this research.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.Location of U.S. Geological Survey Toxic Substances Hydrology Program study areas for triazine herbicides in the Midwestern United States The studies include:
- The development of methods for the analysis of triazine herbicides and their degradates in water.
- A surface-water reconnaissance that documented a "spring flush" of herbicide concentrations in rivers.
- A ground-water reconnaissance involving more than 300 wells across the Midwestern United States that showed degradates of herbicides were more commonly found than the parent compounds.
- Tracking the transport of triazines through drinking-water reservoirs; results showed herbicide concentrations remaining high throughout most of the year in reservoirs where the water has long residence times.
- Research on the occurrence of triazines in precipitation that documented the atmospheric transport of trazine herbicides on a regional scale.
The publications provide one-stop access for information that can be used for the scientific underpinnings of policy, land management, and regulatory decision making regarding triazine herbicides and their degradates in the environment.
References
Scribner, E.A., Thurman, E.M., Goolsby, D.A., Meyer, M.T., Battaglin, W.A., and Kolpin, D.W., 2005, Summary of significant results from studies of triazine herbicides and their degradation products in surface water, ground water, and precipitation in the midwestern United States during the 1990s: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2005-5094, 33 p.
Thurman, E.M., and Scribner, E.A., 2008, A decade of measuring, monitoring, and studying the fate and transport of triazine herbicides in groundwater, surface water, reservoirs, and precipitation by the U.S. Geological Survey (Chapter 30), in LeBaron, H.M., McFarland, J., and Burnside, O., eds., The Triazine Herbicides: Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Elsevier Science, ISBN:978-0-444-51167-6.
- Science
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
New Study Measures Crop Bactericide, Nitrapyrin, in Iowa Streams
First-ever reconnaissance study documents the off-field transport of nitrapyrin — a nitrification inhibitor applied with fertilizers as a bactericide to kill natural soil bacteria for the purpose of increasing crop yields — to adjacent streams. This study is the first step in understanding the transport, occurrence, and potential effects of nitrapyrin or similar compounds on nitrogen processing in...Neonicotinoid Insecticides Documented in Midwestern U.S. Streams
Three neonicotinoid insecticides (clothianidin, thiamethoxam and imidacloprid) were detected commonly throughout the growing season in water samples collected from nine Midwestern stream sites during the 2013 growing season according to a team of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists. Clothianidin was detected most frequently (75 percent) and at the highest maximum concentration (257 nanograms...Common Weed Killer is Widespread in the Environment
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists report that glyphosate, known commercially by many trade names, and its degradation product AMPA (aminomethylphosphonic acid) are transported off-site from agricultural and urban sources and occur widely in the environment. This study is the largest and most comprehensive assessment of the environmental occurrence of glyphosate and AMPA in the United States...Measuring POEA, a Surfactant Mixture in Herbicide Formulations
POEA (polyoxyethylene tallow amine) is a surfactant with known toxic effects on aquatic organisms. POEA was added to the original formulation of the herbicide glyphosate to aid in its application and effectiveness at controlling weeds. U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists developing methods to measure POEA in the environment have shown that it’s a complex and variable mixture of related...Understudied Fungicides Common in U.S. Streams Draining Agricultural Land
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists have detected one or more fungicides in 20 of 29 streams across the United States that were sampled during 2005 and 2006 in areas where soybeans are grown. The number of fungicides used has increased significantly since 2002, and very little is known about their occurrence in the environment. For some of the fungicides this is the first data documenting...Glyphosate Herbicide Found in Many Midwestern Streams, Antibiotics Not Common
Researchers with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recently investigated 51 streams in nine Midwestern States to determine the presence of a wide range of herbicides, their degradation byproducts and antibiotics. Herbicides were detected in most water samples, which were collected to coincide with runoff events following herbicide application, but antibiotics were detected in only 1 percent of the... - Publications