Organochlorine pesticide residues in surface water and groundwater along Pampanga River, Philippines

Abstract

Pesticide use in developing countries such as the Philippines has significantly increased food production. However, the improper and poorly regulated practice of pesticide use may lead to pollution of water resources. To detect and assess the extent of pesticide contamination, residues of organochlorine pesticides were tested in surface water and groundwater in selected areas along the Pampanga River, Philippines. The physicochemical properties of the surface water and ground water were also analyzed and results revealed that phosphate concentrations in surface water and groundwater samples were two to three times higher than the regulatory limits of 0.5 mg L, whereas the nitrate concentrations were below the regulatory limit of 7 mg L. Results further revealed that surface water and groundwater showed the presence of seven organochlorine pesticides and residues listed in the Stockholm Convention list of 2009 such as dieldrin, endrin aldehyde, α-BHC, β-BHC, δ-BHC, γ-chlordane, and endosulfan II. The concentrations of organochlorine pesticides including endrin aldehyde, total BHCs (i.e., α-BHC, β-BHC, δ-BHC), and heptachlor in groundwater were also found to exceed regulatory limits, indicating that these chemicals are still being used illegally and remains a major environmental concern despite the bans and restrictions. We suggest that routine chemical monitoring (including seasonal variations) coupled with biological monitoring using a battery of biomarker tests of organochlorine pesticide and residues along the Pampanga River is necessary to provide inputs for the control and reduction of environmental pollution and for minimizing human health risks.

An overview of pesticides in the development of agriculture crops

“…Subsequently, people are likely to be exposed to pesticides in these regions. Pesticides may persist for a long period of time and increase the probability of exposure and posing potential risks to both humans and aquatic organisms (Navarrete et al, 2018). Terrestrial toxicity: A large number of chemical formulations used in pesticides are persistent in the terrestrial environment and also affect the soil organisms involved in the process of the natural nutrient cycle in the ecosystem.Pesticides hinder the growth of higher plants in the soil during the process of nitrogen fixation.…”

Investigating the 2017 Erratic Fishkill Episode in the Jhelum River, Kashmir Himalaya

“…There is a plethora of literature that suggests both human-induced [1][2][3] and natural causes [4][5][6] for the fishkill. While the human-induced kills include known or accidental additions of harmful chemicals, sewage ingress, and fertilizers from agricultural fields into natural waters [7][8][9][10], the natural causes on the contrary are attributed to temperature fluctuations [11,12], anoxic conditions [13,14], cyanobacterial blooms [15,16], and disease outbreak [17,18]. These episodes sometimes tend to impact the entire lake or river stretch [19] or at times are extremely localized [20].…”

The Water Quality and Nutrients Status in the Dungun River Basin, Terengganu

“…However, the functions of a river may start to degrade as development of an area nearby may directly and indirectly affect the water quality of the river (i.e., land use for agriculture) (Binh Thanh et al, 2020). The excess usage of fertilisers and pesticides in agricultural activities such as palm oil plantations and paddy fields may lead to nutrient inputs to the river, especially of nitrogen (N)-based and phosphorus (P)-based nutrients (Navarrete et. al., 2018;Suratman et al, 2004).…”