PWC-based evaluation of groundwater pesticide pollution in the Júcar River Basin

Predicting pesticides' behavior in the environment is necessary to anticipate and minimize their adverse effects. Despite the use of pesticides in Spain is increasing, the implementation and use of predictive mathematical models is seldomly done in practice due to the lack of available data. In...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Science of the total environment 2022-11, Vol.847, p.157386-157386, Article 157386
Main Authors: Pérez-Indoval, Ricardo, Rodrigo-Ilarri, Javier, Cassiraga, Eduardo, Rodrigo-Clavero, María-Elena
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aquifer
Groundwater
Numerical modeling
Pesticide
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Summary:Predicting pesticides' behavior in the environment is necessary to anticipate and minimize their adverse effects. Despite the use of pesticides in Spain is increasing, the implementation and use of predictive mathematical models is seldomly done in practice due to the lack of available data. In this original work, the Pesticide Root Zone Model version 5 (PRZM 5) mathematical model under the Pesticide in Water Concentration 1.52 (PWC) interface has been applied to model pesticide behavior in nine groundwater bodies located inside the Júcar River Basin (JRB) in Spain. Mathematical modeling allowed calculating the maximum concentration of pesticides after completing the calibration process. Bromacil, terbuthylazine, atrazine, desethyl-terbuthylazine, and terbumeton concentrations in groundwater were simulated between 2006 and 2019. Results show that the maximum pesticide concentration value on every well exceeds the current Spanish Maximum Concentration Limit (0.1 μg/L). PRZM 5 was able to reproduce pesticide concentration observations over time despite the limited amount of available data. This study contributes to assessing environmental risks caused by the use of pesticides inside the JRB and can potentially be applied in other areas of interest. [Display omitted] •PWC model was used to assess groundwater contamination by pesticides in the Júcar River Basin (Spain).•Pesticide concentrations in groundwater are higher than 0.10 μg/L. This value exceeds the current Spanish MCL.•Atrazine and Bromacil were dominant in groundwater.•Negative effects of pesticides were predicted in the environment.
ISSN:0048-9697
1879-1026
DOI:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157386