Herbicides in ground water of the Midwest: A regional study of shallow aquifers, 1991-94

The intensive herbicide use associated with the 'Corn Belt' marks the Midwestern United States as a region where herbicide contamination of ground water could be a problem. To better understand the regional occurrence of herbicides in shallow aquifers of the Midwest, a sampling network of 303 wells across 12 States was developed. The results documented relatively widespread, low-level concentrations of herbicides in the shallow aquifers sampled. The most frequently detected compounds, however, were the transformation products of these herbicides. A relation was determined between herbicide occurrence and the general age of the ground water sampled. Water that recharged ground water within the past 40 years was much more likely to contain herbicides than water recharged earlier.