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Spatio-temporal distribution of pyrethroids in soil in Mediterranean paddy fields

  • Phytoremediation of Polluted Soils: Recent Progress and Developments
  • Published:
Journal of Soils and Sediments Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

The demand of rice by the increase in population in many countries has intensified the application of pesticides and the use of poor quality water to irrigate fields. The terrestrial environment is one compartment affected by these situations, where soil is working as a reservoir, retaining organic pollutants. Therefore, it is necessary to develop methods to determine insecticides in soil and monitor susceptible areas to be contaminated, applying adequate techniques to remediate them.

Materials and methods

This study investigates the occurrence of ten pyrethroid insecticides (PYs) and its spatio-temporal variance in soil at two different depths collected in two periods (before plow and during rice production), in a paddy field area located in the Mediterranean coast. Pyrethroids were quantified using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) after ultrasound-assisted extraction with ethyl acetate. The results obtained were assessed statistically using non-parametric methods, and significant statistical differences (p < 0.05) in pyrethroids content with soil depth and proximity to wastewater treatment plants were evaluated. Moreover, a geographic information system (GIS) was used to monitor the occurrence of PYs in paddy fields and detect risk areas.

Results and discussion

Pyrethroids were detected at concentrations ≤57.0 ng g−1 before plow and ≤62.3 ng g−1 during rice production, being resmethrin and cyfluthrin the compounds found at higher concentrations in soil. Pyrethroids were detected mainly at the top soil, and a GIS program was used to depict the obtained results, showing that effluents from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) were the main sources of soil contamination. No toxic effects were expected to soil organisms, but it is of concern that PYs may affect aquatic organisms, which represents the worst case scenario.

Conclusions

A methodology to determine pyrethroids in soil was developed to monitor a paddy field area. The use of water from WWTPs to irrigate rice fields is one of the main pollution sources of pyrethroids. It is a matter of concern that PYs may present toxic effects on aquatic organisms, as they can be desorbed from soil. Phytoremediation may play an important role in this area, reducing the possible risk associated to PYs levels in soil.

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Acknowledgments

Authors wish to thank INIA for the predoctoral fellowship (R. Aznar) and Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness RTA2014-00012-C03-01 for financial support and Jonathan Villanueva Martín for his contribution to this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Medio Ambiente, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), Ctra. de la Coruña, km. 7, 28040, Madrid, Spain

    Ramón Aznar, Beatriz Albero, Consuelo Sánchez-Brunete & José L. Tadeo

  2. Unidad Docente Suelos, Departamento de Producción Vegetal, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camino de Vera s/n, 46022, Valencia, Spain

    Héctor Moreno-Ramón

Authors
  1. Ramón Aznar
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  2. Héctor Moreno-Ramón
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  3. Beatriz Albero
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  4. Consuelo Sánchez-Brunete
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  5. José L. Tadeo
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to José L. Tadeo.

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Responsible editor: Maria Manuela Abreu

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Aznar, R., Moreno-Ramón, H., Albero, B. et al. Spatio-temporal distribution of pyrethroids in soil in Mediterranean paddy fields. J Soils Sediments 17, 1503–1513 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-016-1417-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-016-1417-2

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