Pesticides were observed frequently in water, sediment, and the tissue of resident aquatic organisms from an agriculturally dominated estuary along the central California coast according to a collaborative study by U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and University of California, Davis scientists published in Marine Pollution Bulletin.
The estuary and lagoon, near Guadalupe, provide nursery and foraging habitat for numerous marine and estuarine fish and other aquatic animals including the endangered tidewater goby fish. Three fungicides, an herbicide, and two organophosphate insecticides were observed frequently in the study area. Pesticides found in the water increased during the summer months as pesticide application increased in the adjacent agricultural watershed; pesticides in bed sediment decreased with increasing distance from potential sources. Fish and sand crabs collected from the mouth of the estuary accumulated a number of pesticides in their tissues. This is the first study to document the occurrence of many current-use pesticides, including fungicides, in tissue. Limited information is alsoavailable documenting the accumulation and effects of pesticides on aquatic organisms, especially in small, agriculturally dominated estuaries.
In estuaries receiving runoff from agricultural areas, management practices are being implemented by State and local agencies to reduce the load of pesticides to estuaries. This study provides a baseline that will allow resource managers to track changes in ecosystem performance with changes in pesticide contamination levels. The approach developed in this study will help resource managers and scientists assess the health of coastal environments.
The California State Water Resources Control Board, USGS Cooperative Water Program, and USGS Toxic Substances Hydrology Program provided the funding for this work.
References
Anderson, B., Phillips, B., Hunt, J., Siegler, K., Voorhees, J., Smalling, K., Kuivila, K., and Adams, M., 2010, Watershed-scale evaluation of agricultural BMP effectiveness in protecting critical coastal habitats--Final report on the status of three coastal estuaries: Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board, San Louis Obispo, Calif., 117 p.
Related science listed below.
Scientists Start at the Base of the Food Chain to Understand Contaminant Affects on Energy Cycling in Streams
Native Bees are Exposed to Neonicotinoids and Other Pesticides
First National-Scale Reconnaissance of Neonicotinoid Insecticides in United States Streams
Neonicotinoid Insecticides Documented in Midwestern U.S. Streams
Measuring POEA, a Surfactant Mixture in Herbicide Formulations
Pesticides Found in Amphibians from Remote Areas in California
Contaminants Affect Fish and Wildlife in the Chesapeake Bay
Chemical Combo and Intersex Fish Found at Smallmouth Bass Nesting Sites
Understudied Fungicides Common in U.S. Streams Draining Agricultural Land
Glyphosate Herbicide Found in Many Midwestern Streams, Antibiotics Not Common
- Overview
Pesticides were observed frequently in water, sediment, and the tissue of resident aquatic organisms from an agriculturally dominated estuary along the central California coast according to a collaborative study by U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and University of California, Davis scientists published in Marine Pollution Bulletin.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.USGS scientist dissecting a summer flounder. Photo Credit: James Orlando, USGS. The estuary and lagoon, near Guadalupe, provide nursery and foraging habitat for numerous marine and estuarine fish and other aquatic animals including the endangered tidewater goby fish. Three fungicides, an herbicide, and two organophosphate insecticides were observed frequently in the study area. Pesticides found in the water increased during the summer months as pesticide application increased in the adjacent agricultural watershed; pesticides in bed sediment decreased with increasing distance from potential sources. Fish and sand crabs collected from the mouth of the estuary accumulated a number of pesticides in their tissues. This is the first study to document the occurrence of many current-use pesticides, including fungicides, in tissue. Limited information is alsoavailable documenting the accumulation and effects of pesticides on aquatic organisms, especially in small, agriculturally dominated estuaries.
In estuaries receiving runoff from agricultural areas, management practices are being implemented by State and local agencies to reduce the load of pesticides to estuaries. This study provides a baseline that will allow resource managers to track changes in ecosystem performance with changes in pesticide contamination levels. The approach developed in this study will help resource managers and scientists assess the health of coastal environments.
The California State Water Resources Control Board, USGS Cooperative Water Program, and USGS Toxic Substances Hydrology Program provided the funding for this work.
References
Anderson, B., Phillips, B., Hunt, J., Siegler, K., Voorhees, J., Smalling, K., Kuivila, K., and Adams, M., 2010, Watershed-scale evaluation of agricultural BMP effectiveness in protecting critical coastal habitats--Final report on the status of three coastal estuaries: Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board, San Louis Obispo, Calif., 117 p.
- Science
Related science listed below.
Scientists Start at the Base of the Food Chain to Understand Contaminant Affects on Energy Cycling in Streams
Study examines the potential adverse effects of fungicides on leaf decomposition by microbes and aquatic invertebrates.Native Bees are Exposed to Neonicotinoids and Other Pesticides
A recent reconnaissance study by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) demonstrates the first observed occurrence of pesticides, including neonicotinoid insecticides, in wild-caught native bees. The results indicate that native bees collected in an agricultural landscape are exposed to multiple pesticides including insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides. This reconnaissance study is the first step...First National-Scale Reconnaissance of Neonicotinoid Insecticides in United States Streams
Neonicotinoid insecticides (neonicotinoids) were present in a little more than half of the streams sampled across the United States and Puerto Rico, according to a new U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) study. This is the first national-scale study of the presence of neonicotinoids in urban and agricultural land use settings across the Nation and was completed as part of ongoing USGS investigations of...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...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...Pesticides Found in Amphibians from Remote Areas in California
Amphibians from remote locations in California have accumulated several current-use pesticides, including fungicides, in their bodies. A team of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists recently reported on field results in the journal Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. Two fungicides, pyraclostrobin and tebuconazole, and the herbicide simazine were detected frequently in amphibians from all...Contaminants Affect Fish and Wildlife in the Chesapeake Bay
“Legacy contaminants” and “contaminants of emerging concern” that persist in the environment are affecting the health of fish and wildlife in the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed. State continue to report impaired water resources due to the persistence and toxicity of some previously banned pollutants. In addition, other contaminants of emerging concern are released to the environment at levels...Chemical Combo and Intersex Fish Found at Smallmouth Bass Nesting Sites
Chemical contaminants including herbicides, veterinary pharmaceuticals, and biogenic hormones have been detected at fish nesting sites in the Potomac River watershed where endocrine disruption in smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) was also observed. Although these contaminants are known to originate from a variety of human and animal-waste sources, results of a recent U.S. Geological Survey...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