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Title: USING SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL PESTICIDE CONCENTRATION DATA TO ASSESS POTENTIAL HAZARDS TO SENSITIVE AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS IN SOUTH FLORIDA

Author
item Hapeman, Cathleen
item Smith, Ramona
item Harman Fetcho, Jennifer
item McConnell, Laura
item Potter, Thomas
item Rice, Clifford
item Sadeghi, Ali
item Sefton, Kerry
item SCHAFFER, BRUCE - UNIV OF FLORIDA
item CURRY, RICHARD - NAT PARK SERV, FLORIDA
item Bialek Kalinski, Krystyna

Submitted to: American Chemical Society Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/1/2005
Publication Date: 3/26/2006
Citation: Hapeman, C.J., Smith, R.D., Harman Fetcho, J.A., Mcconnell, L.L., Potter, T.L., Rice, C., Sadeghi, A.M., Sefton, K.A., Schaffer, B.A., Curry, R.W., Bialek Kalinski, K.M. 2006. Using spatial and temporal pesticide concentration data to assess potential hazards to sensitive aquatic ecosystems in south florida. American Chemical Society Abstracts. 70:76.

Interpretive Summary: .

Technical Abstract: South Florida is a unique combination of highly productive agricultural lands, urban expansion, engineered canal structures for flood control, and critical terrestrial and aquatic wildlife habitat (Everglades, Biscayne and Florida Bays). In a multi-year study of currently-used pesticides, surface water samples from canals and Biscayne Bay were analyzed for 39 pesticides. Atrazine and chlorpyrifos concentrations were highest near corn production, while chlorothalonil and endosulfan concentrations were highest near vegetable production. No clear trend was observed for metolachlor which is used on multiple crops. The calculated aquatic-life hazard potential for the planting period (November) versus the harvest period (March) showed that a higher hazard potential occurs during harvest, primarily from the use of endosulfan. Coupling these data to the life cycles of the aquatic organisms will provide policy and decision makers with more realistic risk assessments and producers with information to reduce the impact of agricultural practices on sensitive ecosystems.