Summary
This multi-country monitoring study, conducted as part of the EU Horizon 2020 SPRINT project, documented the pervasive contamination of small freshwater bodies in agricultural regions by complex pesticide mixtures. Although only 5% of individual pesticide compounds exceeded high-risk thresholds, the study found that pesticide mixture ratios suggested potential cumulative environmental risk in the aquatic compartment, with Argentina showing the highest total pesticide concentrations followed by The Netherlands, Portugal and France.
UK applicability
The findings are directly relevant to UK freshwater management and agricultural policy, as the study included comparable European agroecological contexts and demonstrated that current regulatory frameworks (European Water Framework Directive thresholds) are exceeded in a substantial proportion of case study sites. UK water bodies in intensive agricultural regions would likely warrant similar monitoring given comparable pesticide use patterns.
Key measures
Pesticide residue concentrations (ng/L), number of pesticide residues detected per water body, total pesticide concentration levels, individual and mixture risk quotients (RQ), exceedance of European Water Framework Directive threshold values (500 ng/L)
Outcomes reported
The study quantified the occurrence of 193 pesticide residues across 64 small water bodies in 10 European countries and Argentina, measuring total pesticide concentrations and assessing environmental risk quotients. Herbicides were identified as the dominant pesticide type, with glyphosate, 2,4-D and MCPA showing the highest median concentrations.
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