Inputs of heavy metals due to agrochemical use in tobacco fields in Brazil’s Southern Region

• Published in: Environmental monitoring and assessment 2013-03, Vol.185 (3), p.2423-2437
• Main Authors: Zoffoli, Hugo José Oliveira, do Amaral-Sobrinho, Nelson Moura Brasil, Zonta, Everaldo, Luisi, Marcus Vinícius, Marcon, Gracioso, Tolón-Becerra, Alfredo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agricultural pollution; Agricultural production; Agriculture - statistics & numerical data; Agrochemicals; Agrochemicals - analysis; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Biological and medical sciences; Brand names; Brazil; Crop fields; Crops, Agricultural; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecology; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Management; Environmental Monitoring; Farming systems; Fertilizers; Fertilizers - analysis; Fertilizers - statistics & numerical data; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fungicides; Fungicides, Industrial - analysis; Growth regulators; Heavy metal content; Heavy metals; Herbicides; Insecticides; Investigations; Metals, Heavy - analysis; Monitoring/Environmental Analysis; Nicotiana; Pesticide application; Pesticides; Questionnaires; Soil Pollutants - analysis; Soil testing; Studies; Supplies; Tobacco; Tobacco industry
• ISSN: 0167-6369; 1573-2959
• DOI: 10.1007/s10661-012-2721-y

Only a few studies have assessed the joint incorporation of heavy metals into agricultural systems based on the range of agrochemicals used on a specific agricultural crop. This study was conducted to assess the heavy metals input through application of the main agrochemicals used in Brazilian tobacco fields. A total of 56 samples of different batches of 5 fertilizers, 3 substrates, 8 insecticides, 3 fungicides, 2 herbicides, and 1 growth regulator commonly used in the cultivation of tobacco in Brazil’s Southern Region were collected from 3 warehouses located in the States of Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, and Paraná. The total As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn content of the samples was then determined and compared with the regulations of different countries and information found in the available literature. The fertilizers were identified as the primary source of heavy metals among the agrochemicals used. Application of pesticides directly to the shoots of tobacco plants contributed very little to the supply of heavy metals. The agrochemicals used in Brazilian tobacco fields provide lower inputs of the main heavy metals that are nonessential for plants than those registered in the international literature for the majority of crop fields in different regions of the world.