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Herbicide and degradate flux in the Yazoo River Basin

January 1, 2005

During 1996-1997, water samples were collected from five sites in the Yazoo River Basin and analysed for 14 herbicides and nine degradates. These included acetochlor, alachlor, atrazine, cyanazine, fluometuron, metolachlor, metribuzin, molinate, norflurazon, prometryn, propanil, propazine, simazine, trifluralin, three degradates of fluometuron, two degradates of atrazine, one degradate of cyanazine, norflurazon, prometryn, and propanil. Fluxes generally were higher in 1997 than in 1996 due to a greater rainfall in 1997 than 1996. Fluxes were much larger from streams in the alluvial plain (an area of very productive farmland) than from the Skuna River in the bluff hills (an area of small farms, pasture, and forest). Adding the flux of the atrazine degradates to the atrazine flux increased the total atrazine flux by an average of 14.5%. The fluometuron degradates added about 10% to the total fluometuron flux, and adding the norflurazon degradate flux to the norflurazon flux increased the flux by 82% in 1996 and by 171% in 1997.


Publication Year 2005
Title Herbicide and degradate flux in the Yazoo River Basin
DOI 10.1080/03067310500273351
Authors R.H. Coupe, H.L. Welch, A.B. Pell, E. M. Thurman
Publication Type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Series Title International Journal of Environmental Analytical Chemistry
Index ID 70027418
Record Source USGS Publications Warehouse
USGS Organization Toxic Substances Hydrology Program