Pesticide bioaccumulation in epilithic biofilms as a biomarker of agricultural activities in a representative watershed

Rheinheimer dos Santos, Danilo; Monteiro de Castro Lima, José Augusto; Paranhos Rosa de Vargas, Jocelina; Camotti Bastos, Marilia; Santanna dos Santos, Maria Alice; Mondamert, Leslie; Labanowski, Jérôme

doi:10.1007/s10661-020-08264-8

Published: 20 May 2020

Pesticide bioaccumulation in epilithic biofilms as a biomarker of agricultural activities in a representative watershed

Danilo Rheinheimer dos Santos¹,
José Augusto Monteiro de Castro Lima^1,2,3,
Jocelina Paranhos Rosa de Vargas^1,3,
Marilia Camotti Bastos^1,3,
Maria Alice Santanna dos Santos¹,
Leslie Mondamert³ &
Jérôme Labanowski³

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment volume 192, Article number: 381 (2020) Cite this article

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Abstract

Brazil is one of the largest consumers of pesticides in the world. The high rainfall rate and inadequate soil use and management promote the transfer of these compounds to the aquatic system. The aim of this study was to identify and quantify pesticides present in epilithic biofilms in order to evaluate the effectiveness of this matrix as a bioindicator able to discriminate areas and periods with different inputs of pesticides. Among the 25 pesticides analyzed in the biofilms, 20 compounds were detected. The epilithic biofilms picked up pesticides independent of their polarities, even in the period of lower use. The frequency and median concentration of five herbicides (2,4-D, atrazine, desethyl-atrazine, simazine, nicosulfuron), three fungicides (carbendazim, epoxiconazole, tebuconazole), and one insecticide (imidacloprid) were highest in biofilms sampled in summer crops during the growing period. Biofilms collected in the upper region of the catchment, where genetically modified soybean and corn cultivated in a no-tillage system prevail, the highest frequency and median concentration of three herbicides (2,4-D, thifensulfuron, isoproturon), four fungicides (carbendazim, epoxiconazole, tebuconazole, metconazole), and one insecticide (imidacloprid) were observed. Despite the excessive amounts of pesticides used in the catchment, the median values of all pesticides in the epilithic biofilm were considered low. The lower diversity and concentration of pesticides observed in the autumn/winter season is representative of lower use of pesticides, barriers to pesticide transfer from soil to water, and the biofilm’s resilience capacity to decompose pesticides.

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Universidade Federal de Santa Maria. Av. Roraima nº 1000. Cidade Universitária, Bairro Camobi. Centro de Ciências Rurais, Prédio 42, Departamento de Solos, Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Danilo Rheinheimer dos Santos, José Augusto Monteiro de Castro Lima, Jocelina Paranhos Rosa de Vargas, Marilia Camotti Bastos & Maria Alice Santanna dos Santos
Instituto Federal de Educação Ciência e Tecnologia ‐ Alagoas, Campus Maragogi, Rodovia Arnon de Melo, AL 101 Norte, S/N Atemar de Barros, 56304205, Maragogi, AL, Brazil
José Augusto Monteiro de Castro Lima
Université de Poitiers, IC2MP UMR 7285 ENSI Poitiers Bâtiment B16 7, rue Marcel Doré TSA, 41105 86073, Poitiers Cedex 9, France
José Augusto Monteiro de Castro Lima, Jocelina Paranhos Rosa de Vargas, Marilia Camotti Bastos, Leslie Mondamert & Jérôme Labanowski

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Danilo Rheinheimer dos Santos
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José Augusto Monteiro de Castro Lima
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Jocelina Paranhos Rosa de Vargas
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Marilia Camotti Bastos
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Maria Alice Santanna dos Santos
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Leslie Mondamert
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Jérôme Labanowski
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Correspondence to Jocelina Paranhos Rosa de Vargas.

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Rheinheimer dos Santos, D., Monteiro de Castro Lima, J.A., Paranhos Rosa de Vargas, J. et al. Pesticide bioaccumulation in epilithic biofilms as a biomarker of agricultural activities in a representative watershed. Environ Monit Assess 192, 381 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-020-08264-8

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Received: 26 March 2020
Accepted: 31 March 2020
Published: 20 May 2020
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-020-08264-8

Keywords

Contamination
Soil use management
Soil erosion
Runoff
Riparian forest