Mitigation of herbicide runoff as an ecosystem service from a constructed surface flow wetland

Abstract

Ecosystem services provided by wetland\ud systems presently play a pivotal role in intensive\ud cropland as water purification from agricultural pollution.\ud A field trial was conducted in 2014 to evaluate\ud herbicide runoff reduction and retention using a\ud 0.32 ha constructed surface flow wetland (CSFW) at\ud the outlet of a 6 ha agricultural basin. To simulate an\ud extreme pulse contamination, the CSFW was flooded\ud with a runoff contaminated with metolachlor, and\ud terbuthylazine and two other subsequent floods with\ud pure water were applied 21 and 65 days later. Results\ud show that the CSFW can reduce runoff concentration\ud of metolachlor and terbuthylazine by a factor of 45–80\ud even in extreme flooding conditions. Herbicides\ud retention in the CSFW was reversible, and the second\ud and third floods mobilized 14–31 and 3.5–7.0%\ud respectively, of the amount detected in the first flood.\ud The CSFW performs a high buffer capacity for\ud herbicides, capable to provide water purification\ud service, protecting downstream surface water. Moreover,\ud mitigation capacity of a CSFW for a heavy\ud runoff from a 10 ha basin is 90% for every 50 m in\ud length of a 15 m wide wetland. This confirms that the\ud implementation of CSFWs in agro-systems can\ud improve the sustainability of agricultural production

Terbuthylazine and desethylterbuthylazine: Recent occurrence, mobility and removal techniques

“…Better knowledge on the interactions and aggregation of biochar and soil materials will facilitate the development of bioremediative materials to increase sorption and decrease dissipation of pesticides in soils (Trigo et al 2014). Phragmites australis and Lolium multiflorum have shown potential in the decontamination of TBA (Mimmo et al 2015), while constructed wetlands can protect downstream surface waters from contaminated agricultural runoff (Borin et al 2004, Maillard et al 2012, Pappalardo et al 2016.…”

“…After the first initial flood, the reduction in TBA was more than 97%; likely due to reversible adsorption on plants, plant residues and soils; indeed, the second and third floods partially mobilized the herbicide. However, no hebicides by-passed the wetland and entered the surface water outside the basin (Pappalardo et al 2016). Complete TBA runoff mitigation was also demonstrated by samples collected from the inlet, the sediment deposition zone and the outlet of a 319 m 2 stormwater wetland, collecting the runoff of a vineyard catchment.…”

“…The average abatement of TBA through the buffer was 81%. Wetlands can collect and retain many phytosanitary products, improving the sustainability of agricultural production (Pappalardo et al 2016). Sedimentation, photolysis, hydrolysis and other degradation processes are strictly connected with the hydrochemistry and changes of runoff regime (Maillard et al 2011).…”

Assessing the Integration of Wetlands along Small European Waterways to Address Diffuse Nitrate Pollution

“…In addition, extra ecosystem services could result from their implementation, for instance, flood control, groundwater recharge, biodiversity increase, habitat for spawning and wildlife, as well as aesthetic values [52]. Another advantage of broadening the river course is that the arable land needed would be equally distributed at both sides of the stream.…”

Preface: Wetlands biodiversity and processes—tools for conservation and management

“…The interactions between macrophytes and either wet or submerged soils provide functions and services that allow for the removal of nutrients, thus controlling water eutrophication, and can mitigate against xenobiotics (Boz & Gumiero, 2016;Hernández-Crespo et al, 2016;Pappalardo et al, 2016).…”