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Occurrence, distribution, and fate of pesticides in an intensive farming region in the Brazilian semi-arid tropics (Jaguaribe River, Ceará)

  • Sediments, Sec 1 • Sediment Quality and Impact Assessment • Short Original Communication
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose

This study is the first to assess herbicide levels in sediment of the Jaguaribe River, which is located in one of the largest agricultural areas of the tropical Brazilian semi-arid region (Ceará state), with the goal of evaluating the occurrence of herbicides as well as their geographical distribution pattern and environmental fate in this river.

Materials and methods

Sediment collection was performed in October 2012, and nine points were selected located along the river to its mouth, and the levels of atrazine (ATR), alachlor (ALA), bromacil (BRO), ethalfluralin (ETHA), fluridone (FLU), metolachlor (METO), norflurazon (NOR), simazine (SIM), tebuthiuron (TEB), and trifluralin (TRI) were determined. Sediment from each site was characterized by granulometric analysis and total organic carbon (TOC), humic acid (HA), and fulvic acid (FA) contents.

Results and discussion

ALA, BRO, ETHA, FLU, NOR (a prohibited compound), and TEB were detected in all samples analyzed, whereas herbicides ATR, METO, SIM, and TRI were not detected at any of the sampling sites. The total herbicide concentrations (∑herb) (the sum of six herbicides detected) per sampling sites ranged from 174.86 to 348.84 ng g−1 (fluvial zone) and 111.43 to 419.35 ng g−1 (estuary zone). The results showed that the sum of ETHA concentrations at all sampling points (ΣETHA) (1687.47 ng g−1) was the most abundant herbicide, followed by ΣBRO (201.43 ng g−1), ΣALA (41.73 ng g−1), ΣTEB (24.41 ng g−1), ΣFLU (1.33 ng g−1), and ΣNOR (0.43 ng g−1). The physicochemical properties of ATR, METO, and SIM favor their dispersion in the aqueous fraction; thus, the lack of these herbicides in the sediments is due to environmental partitioning.

Conclusions

The environmental and geographical distribution pattern indicates that the estuarine zone is a sink that controls the fate of TEB, ALA, and FLU herbicides. Differently from expected results, data based on non-linear Spearman’s coefficient show that herbicides with high log K ow and K oc values were more likely to be found in the sediment inorganic fraction, whereas herbicides with high solubility and low K oc values were dispersed between both the organic and inorganic fractions of sediments.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank CNPq (process 484171/2010-0 and 480583/2012-9) and FUNCAP (process 150.01.00/09) for the resources available to the project Pesticides in Semiarid Cearense. Dr. Rivelino Cavalcante is also grateful for the scholarship in research productivity from CNPq. The authors thank Prof. Dra. Kamila Vieira for the statistical treatment of the data and also the Laboratório de Oceanografia Geológica (LOG/Labomar).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory for Assessment of Organic Contaminants (LACOr), Institute of Marine Sciences-Federal University of Ceará (LABOMAR-UFC), Av. Abolição, 3207-Meireles, Fortaleza, CE, CEP 60165-081, Brazil

    Allyne F. Gama, Rivelino M. Cavalcante & Wersângela C. Duaví

  2. Laboratory of Analysis Traces (LAT), Department of Analytical Chemistry and Physical Chemistry, Federal University of Ceará, Av. Humberto Monte S/N, Pici, Fortaleza, CE, CEP 60451-970, Brazil

    Vítor P A. Silva & Ronaldo F. Nascimento

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  1. Allyne F. Gama
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  2. Rivelino M. Cavalcante
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  3. Wersângela C. Duaví
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  4. Vítor P A. Silva
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  5. Ronaldo F. Nascimento
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Correspondence to Rivelino M. Cavalcante.

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Gama, A.F., Cavalcante, R.M., Duaví, W.C. et al. Occurrence, distribution, and fate of pesticides in an intensive farming region in the Brazilian semi-arid tropics (Jaguaribe River, Ceará). J Soils Sediments 17, 1160–1169 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-016-1597-9

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