ArticlePublisher preview available

Large-Scale Agriculture and Environmental Pollution of Ground and Surface Water and Sediment by Pesticides in the Brazilian Amazon: the Case of the Santarém Region

Authors:
Moema Guimarães de Azeredo Morgado at Federal University of Mato Grosso
Moema Guimarães de Azeredo Morgado
Carlos J.S. Passos at University of Brasília
Carlos J.S. Passos
Jérémie Garnier at University of Brasília
Jérémie Garnier
Luana Alves de Lima at Federal University from Jequitinhonha and Mucuri's Valleys
Luana Alves de Lima
Show all 7 authorsHide
Read publisher preview
Download citation
To read the full-text of this research, you can request a copy directly from the authors.

Abstract and Figures

The current development model of the agricultural sector in Brazil has considerable potential to cause negative environmental impacts, including the pollution of aquatic ecosystems, as it may contribute to the intensification of erosive processes on deforested soils, to the leaching of eroded materials, and to the consequent siltation of waterbodies with soil particles containing environmental pollutants. We aimed at assessing the occurrence of several pesticide residues in aquatic ecosystems located near large soybean crops of the Santarém region, in the eastern Brazilian Amazon. By adopting a methodological approach combining analytical and environmental chemistry, 10 groundwater samples, 18 surface water, and 15 drainage bottom sediment samples, all collected in streams from the study region, were analyzed. The study included a distributed sampling procedure covering an area of approximately 20 km², and the potential risks of the studied pollutants and their implications for the region were likewise examined and critically discussed. Results indicate that active ingredients such as the herbicides atrazine and metolachlor were detected in the waters, as well as organochlorine insecticides such as DDTs and endosulfan. The spatialization of the resulting pesticide concentrations in water suggests that the contamination would not be punctual but would rather come from various point sources. As for the sediments, glyphosate and DDT contamination was likewise pervasive. Our findings suggest the need of elucidating the sediment and water polluting effects of large-scale soybean crops in the Amazonian rainforest.
Figures - available from: Water Air and Soil Pollution
This content is subject to copyright. Terms and conditions apply.
A preview of this full-text is provided by Springer Nature.
Learn more
Content available from Water Air and Soil Pollution
This content is subject to copyright. Terms and conditions apply.
Vol.: (0123456789)
1 3
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-023-06152-8
Large‑Scale Agriculture andEnvironmental Pollution
ofGround andSurface Water andSediment byPesticides
intheBrazilian Amazon: theCase oftheSantarém Region
MoemaGuimarãesdeAzeredoMorgado · CarlosJoséSousaPassos · JérémieGarnier ·
LuanaAlvesdeLima · RosivaldodeAlcântaraMendes · ÉmileSamson‑Brais· MarcLucotte
Received: 12 August 2022 / Accepted: 1 February 2023
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2023
Abstract The current development model of the
agricultural sector in Brazil has considerable poten-
tial to cause negative environmental impacts, includ-
ing the pollution of aquatic ecosystems, as it may
contribute to the intensification of erosive processes
on deforested soils, to the leaching of eroded mate-
rials, and to the consequent siltation of waterbodies
with soil particles containing environmental pollut-
ants. We aimed at assessing the occurrence of sev-
eral pesticide residues in aquatic ecosystems located
near large soybean crops of the Santarém region, in
the eastern Brazilian Amazon. By adopting a meth-
odological approach combining analytical and envi-
ronmental chemistry, 10 groundwater samples, 18
surface water, and 15 drainage bottom sediment sam-
ples, all collected in streams from the study region,
were analyzed. The study included a distributed sam-
pling procedure covering an area of approximately 20
km2, and the potential risks of the studied pollutants
and their implications for the region were likewise
examined and critically discussed. Results indicate
that active ingredients such as the herbicides atra-
zine and metolachlor were detected in the waters, as
well as organochlorine insecticides such as DDTs and
endosulfan. The spatialization of the resulting pesti-
cide concentrations in water suggests that the contam-
ination would not be punctual but would rather come
from various point sources. As for the sediments,
M.G.deAzeredoMorgado
Centre forSustainable Development, University ofBrasília
(UnB), Brasília, Brazil
e-mail: moema.unb@gmail.com
C.J.S.Passos(*)
Faculty UnB atPlanaltina, University ofBrasília (UnB),
DF73.345-010Planaltina, Brazil
e-mail: cjpassos@unb.br
J.Garnier
Institute ofGeosciences, University ofBrasília (UnB),
Brasília, Brazil
e-mail: garnier@unb.br
L.A.deLima
Vale doJequitinhonha e Mucuri Federal University,
Diamantina, Brazil
e-mail: luana.lima@ufvjm.edu.br
R.deAlcântaraMendes
Evandro Chagas Institute (IEC/SVS/MS), Ananindeua,
Brazil
e-mail: rosivaldomendes@iec.gov.br
É.Samson-Brais· M.Lucotte
Institute ofEnvironmental Sciences & GEOTOP,
University ofQuebec atMontreal (UQÀM), Montreal,
Canada
e-mail: emile_samson@hotmail.com
M. Lucotte
e-mail: lucotte.marc_michel@uqam.ca
Water Air Soil Pollut (2023) 234:150
/ Published online: 20 February 2023
Content courtesy of Springer Nature, terms of use apply. Rights reserved.
... Additionally, although more research is needed, there may be connections to specific malignancies, birth malformations, and developmental problems that could pose a threat to human health [21] The persistent nature of atrazine is highlighted by recent monitoring data from organizations such as the EPA, which continue to find the contaminant in water bodies, especially in agricultural areas. This continuous contamination emphasizes how important it is to have efficient degradation techniques in place to reduce the risks of atrazine exposure and safeguard human and environmental health [22]. ...
A review article on the photocatalytic degradation of atrazine by potential catalysts
Article
Full-text available
  • Jan 2025
Atrazine, a persistent herbicide with endocrine-disrupting properties, poses significant environmental and health risks. Its widespread use and persistence in aquatic ecosystems necessitate effective remediation strategies. Photocatalytic degradation, a promising green technology, utilizes light energy to degrade pollutants into less harmful substances. This study systematically investigates the photocatalytic degradation of atrazine using a variety of photocatalysts, including TiO 2 , boron-doped TiO 2 , ZnIn 2 S4-based catalysts, indole-3-acetic acid-montmorillonite clay composites, ZnO-based catalysts, ZnO/GO composites, Pd/ZnWO4 nanocomposites, and zinc-doped cadmium aluminum ferrite. Boron-doped TiO 2 achieved a degradation efficiency of 94.7 % within 180 min under visible light. The influence of key parameters such as catalyst concentration, pH, initial atrazine concentration, and light intensity on the degradation process was systematically examined. A novel aspect of this research lies in the comparative analysis of diverse photocatalysts, enabling the identification of optimal conditions for efficient atrazine removal. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and total organic carbon (TOC) analyses confirmed both primary degradation and mineralization of atrazine. The findings of this study offer valuable insights into the potential application of photocatalytic technology for the remediation of atrazine-contaminated water bodies. By optimizing reaction conditions and selecting suitable photocatalysts it is possible to achieve effective and sustainable removal of this persistent pollutant.
View
... Furthermore, improper management using higher doses of fertilizers can alter the structure of the soil, harming its health and fertility, in addition to causing losses through soil erosion and leaching processes (Dincă et al. 2022;Penuelas et al. 2023;Silva et al. 2023). These agrochemicals can leach into surface and groundwater and cause eutrophication (de Azevedo Morgado et al. 2023). Fertilizers are also among the main ways in which heavy metals enter the soil (Zwolak et al. 2019). ...
Phosphorus-solubilizing Trichoderma strains: mechanisms to promote soybean growth and support sustainable agroecosystems
Article
Full-text available
  • Jan 2025
  • PLANT SOIL
Background and aims Brazilian Cerrado soils have low phosphorus content, leading many farmers to frequently apply fertilizers. With respect to this, Trichoderma are fungi with traits that can improve the fertility and health of the soil and promote plant growth. In this study, native strains of Trichoderma (T. viride GT-8, T. reesei GT-31, and T. longibrachiatum GT-32) from the Brazilian Cerrado were characterized. The impact of their inoculation on soybean growth and grain yield was also assessed under two phosphate fertilization conditions: 400 and 200 kg ha⁻¹ of simple superphosphate (SPP). Two independent field experiments were conducted with the cultivars Nidera NS6601 IPRO and DM 69IX60RSF 12X RR2PRO. Leaf and rhizospheric soil samples were collected for biochemical analyses. Results The strains showed phosphate solubilization from fertilizers and exhibited other PGP traits. Inoculation of GT-32 on cv. Nidera NS6601 resulted in a 4.5% increase in grain yield under 200 kg ha⁻¹ of SPP. For the second cultivar, the use of GT-31 and GT-32 at 200 kg ha⁻¹ of SSP resulted in grain yield increases of 22.7% and 18.6%, respectively. Inoculated plants showed higher shoot dry weight, chlorophyll content, phenolic compounds, and antioxidant responses under both fertilization conditions. Furthermore, enzymatic activities were higher in the rhizospheric soil of plants inoculated with GT-31 and GT-32 strains. Conclusion These findings demonstrated the potential of the GT-31 and GT-32 strains to improve soybean growth and yield with reduced fertilizer use. Additionally, their use could offer a sustainable strategy for enhancing soil health and fertility in Brazilian Cerrado soils. Graphical Abstract
View
... Few studies in the Amazon coastal areas have focused on the distribution and fate of POPs (Neves et al. 2018). However, important investigations have been conducted in the central Amazon on freshwater systems, using fish (Mendes et al. 2019;Rabitto et al. 2011;Saldanha et al. 2010), human milk, cetaceans, water, soils, and sediments (Morgado et al. 2023;Torres et al. 2009). These studies often emphasize the impact of pesticide drainage from mining and agricultural areas, where temporary settlements and the formation of cities occurred at the expense of deforestation, ecological imbalance, and an increase in malaria (da Silva-Nunes et al. 2012). ...
Background of persistent organic pollutants in estuarine sediments from the Marajó Island, an Amazonian environmental protection area for sustainable use
Article
Full-text available
  • Nov 2024
  • ENVIRON SCI POLLUT R
Marajó Island, an environmental protection area for sustainable use in the Brazilian Amazon, was the first region in Brazil to apply the pesticide DDT, a persistent organic pollutant (POP), to control malaria outbreaks. This study investigated background levels of various POPs, including o,p’- and p,p’-DDT and their primary metabolites (o,p’- and p,p’-DDE, o,p’- and p,p’-DDD), as well as hexachlorocyclohexane (α-, β-, γ-, δ-HCH), using estuarine surface sediments and sediment cores from areas influenced by urbanization and agriculture. All samples were collected during the dry season (September 2014). Surface sediments exhibited ΣDDT concentrations up to 2.71 ng g⁻¹, with isomeric ratios indicating past DDT application and contributions from dicofol. Sediment profiles revealed alternating aerobic and anaerobic degradation processes of DDT. Other organochlorinated contaminants were not detected. The presence of γ-HCH as the main isomer (0.24 to 0.90 ng g⁻¹) in surface samples suggests recent lindane application as a wood preservative or cattle parasite treatment. A dated sediment core revealed historical contamination of early DDT tests in the Amazon during the mid-1940s. Increasing ΣDDT concentrations (up to 12.3 ng g⁻¹) were identified in the 1970s, coinciding with the intensification of DDT use for public health campaigns, which lasted until 2009 and reached the highest ΣDDT flux. Legal restrictions on the use and commercialization of POPs, along with natural degrading processes, likely led to decreased accumulation and limited ecological risks. Furthermore, the low concentrations of POPs suggested biodegradation and dispersion from northeast to southeast.
View
... Rights reserved. microbiota and microbiome functions (Hartmann and Six 2023), and water pollution resulting in the eutrophication of aquatic environments (de Azeredo Morgado et al. 2023). ...
New Strains of Trichoderma with Potential for Biocontrol and Plant Growth Promotion Improve Early Soybean Growth and Development
Article
Full-text available
  • Jun 2024
  • J PLANT GROWTH REGUL
Bioformulations with Trichoderma strains offer cost-effective and sustainable options for integrated disease management and plant nutrition. Therefore, this study aimed to selected isolates of Trichoderma with antagonistic and plant growth-promoting potential, specifically in the early development stage of soybean seedlings. Trichoderma isolated from the soybean rhizosphere were screened to assess their antagonistic activity against three phytopathogens; as well as their capability for indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) synthesis and phosphate solubilization. Three promising were further examined for their tolerance to various in vitro conditions and agrochemicals. Experiments were performed to assess the effect of single inoculation and co-inoculation of strains on the growth and biochemical responses during early soybean development. Nine isolates showed effective antagonism against phytopathogens. Among them, T. reesei GT-31 and T. longibrachiatum GT-32 showed the highest IAA production, with 175.8 and 119.6 μg/mL, respectively, while the T. viride GT-8 showed the highest phosphate solubilization activity after 10 days of growth (285.6 μg P/mL). These strains displayed robust growth under various conditions and agrochemical treatments. The co-inoculation of three strains resulted in even higher dry shoot and root weights, increasing by 50.3% and 48.8%, respectively, compared to non-inoculated seedlings. Co-inoculated plants also exhibited elevated chlorophyll (31.9%), carotenoids (24.9%), flavonoids (13.2%), and phenolic compounds (42.3%). The results suggest that employing the three strains with beneficial mechanisms for plants could significantly enhance the growth and early development of soybean seedlings. Overall, these findings highlight the potential of these novel Trichoderma strains to enhance plant growth and offer benefits in soybean crops, providing a sustainable strategy for agriculture. Graphical Abstract
View
... This sediment runoff to the rivers may contaminate the water resources and the aquatic biota [66][67][68][69], which could be consumed by people [70,71], or the water contaminated with pesticides may be used for crop irrigation [72] or distributed to residences for human consumption, as observed by Panis et al. [73] studying 127 grainproducing municipalities in Parana State, Brazil, which revealed contamination of drinking water and that contamination may increase the risk of cancer. In the Brazilian Amazon, pesticides were detected in aquatic ecosystems and sediments near a large zone of soybean production in the Santarém region [74], in the surface and ground waters, in drainage sediments in the indigenous lands surrounded by oil palm monoculture [75], and in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems in the Brazilian Pampa [76]. ...
Strategies and Public Policies for Soil and Water Conservation and Food Production in Brazil
Article
Full-text available
  • Apr 2024
There is an urgent demand to change our intensive crop production systems, replacing them with soil use and management systems that recover, preserve, or improve soil health and are environmentally sustainable, producing healthy and good-quality food. In this work, we compile and present strategies and public policies aimed toward soil and water conservation and food production in Brazil. The results presented may help Brazilian farmers adopt practices to recover, maintain, or improve soil health and politicians to create or modify public policies for healthy soil and food, without the necessity of increasing agricultural areas. Food insecurity was also addressed, with family farming playing an important role in food production and decreasing food insecurity. But these challenges need the combined efforts and engagement of the whole society.
View
Hydrogel and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi inoculation as soil conditioners in dark Earth of the Amazon rainforest
Article
Full-text available
  • Apr 2025
  • J SOIL SEDIMENT
Purpose Our aim was to assess the soil properties, plant performance, and microbial gene associated with Z. mays as influenced by cellulose-based hydrogel and AMF inoculation in the Brazil’s Legal Amazon. Methods We evaluated the soil bulk density, soil porosity, geometric mean diameter (GMD), soil available water (SAW), soil pH, electrical conductivity (EC), cation exchangeable capacity (CEC), soil organic carbon (SOC), organic acids, plant dry biomass, yield, root density, microbial biomass carbon (MBC), microbial gene abundance, and dsDNA content in Acrisols cropped to maize cultivar “BRS-3042”. Results The highest values of soil porosity (49.21 m³ m− 3), GMD (2.71 0.11 mm), SAW(1.23 g kg− 1), EC (0.90 0.03 dS m− 1), CEC (45.89 mmolc kg− 1), SOC (10.9 mg g− 1), oxalic acid (45.33 1.29 µmol kg− 1), malic acid (4.11 µmol kg− 1), plant dry biomass (3.9 t ha− 1), yield (1.78 t ha− 1), root density (0.45 0.03 g cm− 3), MBC (256.02 µg g− 1 soil), Bacteria gene abundance (65.39 × 10⁸ g− 1 soil), Fungi gene abundance (2.01 × 10⁸ g− 1 soil), Archaea gene abundance (1.60 × 10⁸ g− 1 soil), and dsDNA content (20.91 µg g− 1 soil) were found in the plots with hydrogel and AMF inoculation. Conclusions Our findings suggest that the use of hydrogel combined with AMF inoculation positively affected the Acrisols by increasing its physical structure and fertility. Additionally, both treatments showed potential to: (i) increase soil C sequestration in the Brazil’s Legal Amazon; (ii) mitigate climate change in areas covered by Amazon dark earth; and (iii) preserve sustainable agroecosystem for food production in the Amazon Forest Biome.
View
Violence, land conflicts and the dynamics of the agrarian economy in the Brazilian Amazon
Article
Full-text available
  • Mar 2025
In the Amazon, the land market is imposed by the conversion of the forest into land for economic purposes. Part of this land is the result of illicit actions, using different levels of violence and producing changes in the forest landscape. We argue that conflicts over land are signs in the territories of the action of mechanisms to generate land as a commodity in the region. Based on the situations of land conflicts mapped by the Pastoral Land Commission in the period from 2012 to 2021 and the analytical categories of the agrarian economy (technological trajectories, TTs) for 2006 and 2017, an analysis was built at the municipal level based on two periods. From 2012 to 2017, we sought to identify and characterize the territories where these mechanisms were present, observed in conjunction with the state transitions of the TTs from 2006 to 2017. From 2018 to 2021, we sought to identify processes and trends for the most recent period. Municipalities that converged to economies based on livestock and grain farming systems concentrated more than 60% of the conflicts that occurred in the decade. The results show the persistence of conflicts in historical areas, such as in the southeast of Pará, and in new borders, such as in municipalities on the Amazonas, Rondônia and Acre borders. There is also the internalization of violence towards the western Amazon, in municipalities with economies based on the biome in different arrangements, revealing new fronts of interest for the land resource. The results contribute to the debate on violence in the Amazon, based on the choices for the agrarian development model, which can result in illnesses of individuals and communities trapped in disputes, to control the ways of living and producing.
View
Violência, conflitos por terra e a dinâmica da economia agrária na Amazônia brasileira
Article
Full-text available
  • Mar 2025
Na Amazônia, o mercado de terras se impõe pela conversão da floresta em terras para o mercado. Parte dessas terras é fruto do ilícito, com uso de diferentes níveis de violência, e produzem alterações na paisagem florestal. Argumentamos que os conflitos por terra são sinalizadores nos territórios de ação dos mecanismos geradores de terra, como mercadoria, que operam na região. Partindo das situações de conflitos por terra mapeadas pela Comissão Pastoral da Terra no período de 2012 a 2021 e as categorias analíticas da economia agrária (trajetórias tecnológicas, TT), para 2006 e 2017, construímos uma análise em nível municipal baseada em dois períodos. De 2012 a 2017, buscamos identificar e caracterizar os territórios onde esses mecanismos estiveram presentes, observando-os em conjunto às transições de estado das TTs de 2006 para 2017. De 2018 a 2021, buscou-se identificar processos e tendências para o período mais recente. Municípios que convergiram para economias baseadas em sistemas patronais de pecuária e de agricultura de grãos concentraram mais de 60% dos conflitos ocorridos na década. Os resultados mostram a persistência dos conflitos em áreas históricas, como no sudeste paraense, e em novas fronteiras, como em municípios da fronteira Amazonas, Rondônia e Acre. Há, também, a interiorização das violências em direção à Amazônia ocidental, em municípios de economias baseadas no bioma em arranjos diversos, revelando novas frentes de interesse do recurso terra. Os resultados contribuem para o debate das violências na Amazônia, a partir das escolhas pelo modelo de desenvolvimento agrário, que pode resultar no adoecimento de indivíduos e comunidades aprisionados em disputas para o controle dos modos de viver e produzir.
View
View
View
Chinese-driven frontier expansion in the Amazon: four axes of pressure caused by the growing demand for soy trade
Article
Full-text available
  • May 2020
Chinese demand for the world's commodities has the capacity to shape agricultural frontiers in many parts of the world, including the Amazon. This article is a preliminary report on findings concerning the expansion of the agricultural frontier in the Brazilian Amazon driven by increases in soybean production, extension of cropped area, cross-referenced with satellite data on deforestation rates at the smallest possible scale: the municipal level. The study identifies 21 municipalities forming fours axes of frontier expansion in the Amazon, where soycrops may be the cause for displacement deforestation, as it is the case of cattle ranching. Despite the Soy Moratorium, frontiers in the Amazon keep shifting. The article advocates that further research in those four axes is needed to better understand the relationship between those two industries in terms of land use as well as the socio-environmental on the ground impacts. Furthermore, the connections between those areas with present and future infrastructure development in the Amazon, many counting with direct Chinese investment, will be key to the expansion of the soy value chain, bypassing the initial goal of zero-deforestation.
View
Pesticide exposure and cancer: an integrative literature review
Article
Full-text available
  • Sep 2019
We conducted an integrative literature review of published studies on pesticide and cancer exposure, focusing on farmers, rural population, pesticide applicators, and rural workers. The Medline/PubMed was used as searching database. After the retrieval, 74 articles were selected according to pre-established criteria, which design involved 39 case-controls, 32 cohorts, 2 ecological ones, and 1 cross-sectional. Among them, 64 studies showed associations between pesticides and cancer while 10 did not find any significant association. The studies found 53 different types of pesticides significantly associated with at least one type of cancer and 19 different types of cancers linked to at least one type of pesticide. Although few studies presented contradictory results, the sole fact of being a farmer or living near crops or high agricultural areas have also been used as a proxy for pesticide exposure and significantly associated with higher cancer risk. The literature well illustrates the case of prostate cancer, Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, leukemia, multiple myeloma, bladder and colon cancers. Studies are recommended to further investigate the relationship between pesticide and neoplasm of testis, breast, esophagus, kidney, thyroid, lip, head and neck, and bone.
View
Soy expansion in Brazil's Cerrado
Article
Full-text available
  • Aug 2019
The Cerrado biome is Brazil's breadbasket and a major provider of ecosystem services, though these dual roles are increasingly at odds, in part because there are few mechanisms to protect remaining vegetation from large‐scale agricultural expansion. We assessed Cerrado conversion to soy using over 580,000 property boundaries, covering 77% of the biome that is eligible for commercial land use, and using microwatersheds, to cover 100% of eligible areas. Soy expansion accounted for 22% of conversion during 2003–14. Only 15% of clearing exceeded restrictions on private properties under the Forest Code (FC). However, 51% of soy farms have violated the FC, five times the rate of other farms. As a leading cause of both Cerrado conversion and FC violations, the soy sector has environmental and economic incentives to shift production to already cleared land. We used suitability maps to identify potential pathways for soy expansion across both old and new cropland frontiers.
View
Innovation Issues in Water, Agriculture and Food
Book
Full-text available
  • Jul 2019
The main challenge faced by agriculture is to produce enough food for a continued increase in population, however in the context of ever-growing competition for water and land, climate change, droughts and anthropic water scarcity, and less-participatory water governance. Such a context implies innovative issues in agricultural water management and practices, at both the field and the system or the basin scales, mainly in irrigation to cope with water scarcity, environmental friendliness, and rural society welfare. Therefore, this special issue was set to present and discuss recent achievements in water, agriculture, and food nexus at different scales, thus to promote sustainable development of irrigated agriculture and to develop integrated approaches to water and food. Papers cover various domains including: (a) evapotranspiration and crop water use; (b) improving water management in irrigated agriculture, particularly irrigation scheduling; (c) adaptation of agricultural systems to enhance water use and water productivity to face water scarcity and climate change; (d) improving irrigation systems design and management adopting multi-criteria and risk approaches; (e) ensuring sustainable management for anthropic ecosystems favoring safe and high-quality food production, as well as the conservation of natural ecosystems; (f) assessing the impact of water scarcity and, mainly, droughts; (g) conservation of water quality resources, namely by preventing contamination with nitrates; (h) use of modern mapping technologies and remote sensing information; and (i) fostering a participative and inclusive governance of water for food security and population welfare.
View
Innovation Issues in Water, Agriculture and Food
Article
Full-text available
  • Jun 2019
The main challenge faced by agriculture is to produce enough food for a continued increase in population, however in the context of ever-growing competition for water and land, climate change, droughts and anthropic water scarcity, and less-participatory water governance. Such a context implies innovative issues in agricultural water management and practices, at both the field and the system or the basin scales, mainly in irrigation to cope with water scarcity, environmental friendliness, and rural society welfare. Therefore, this special issue was set to present and discuss recent achievements in water, agriculture, and food nexus at different scales, thus to promote sustainable development of irrigated agriculture and to develop integrated approaches to water and food. Papers cover various domains including: (a) evapotranspiration and crop water use; (b) improving water management in irrigated agriculture, particularly irrigation scheduling; (c) adaptation of agricultural systems to enhance water use and water productivity to face water scarcity and climate change; (d) improving irrigation systems design and management adopting multi-criteria and risk approaches; (e) ensuring sustainable management for anthropic ecosystems favoring safe and high-quality food production, as well as the conservation of natural ecosystems; (f) assessing the impact of water scarcity and, mainly, droughts; (g) conservation of water quality resources, namely by preventing contamination with nitrates; (h) use of modern mapping technologies and remote sensing information; and (i) fostering a participative and inclusive governance of water for food security and population welfare.
View
View
Widespread pesticide contamination of drinking water and impact on cancer risk in Brazil
Article
  • Jun 2022
  • ENVIRON INT
Pesticides, which are associated with endocrine dysfunction, immunological dysregulation, and cancer, are widespread sources of drinking water contamination. The state of Paraná has a population of 11 million, is the second largest grain producer in Brazil and is a leading consumer of pesticides. In this study, we analyzed the extent of drinking water contamination from 11 proven, probable, or potentially carcinogenic pesticides (alachlor, aldrin-dieldrin, atrazine, chlordane, DDT-DDD-DDE, diuron, glyphosate-AMPA, lindane-γ-HCH, mancozeb-ETU, molinate, and trifluralin) in 127 grain-producing municipalities in the state of Paraná. Extensive contamination of drinking water was found, including legacy pesticides such as aldrin-dieldrin (mean 0.047 ppb), DDT-DDD-DDE (mean: 0.07), chlordane (mean: 0.181), and lindane-HCH (mean: 2.17). Most of the municipalities were significantly above the maximum limits for each one of the currently allowed pesticides (67% for alachlor, 9.44% for atrazine, 96.85% for diuron, 100% for glyphosate-AMPA, 80.31% for mancozeb-ETU, 91.33% for molinate, and 12.6% for trifluralin). Ninety-seven percent of municipalities presented a sum of all pesticides at levels significantly above (189.84 ppb) the European Union preconized limits (
View
Pollutant Dissipation at the Sediment‐Water Interface: A Robust Discrete Continuum Numerical Model and Recirculating Laboratory Experiments
Article
  • Jan 2021
Pollutant exchange in the hyporheic zone is a major process controlling its degradation in river systems. Knowledge of mass transfer processes at the sediment-water interface (SWI) remains scarce. Accurate predictive modelling of flow driving pollutant fluxes at the SWI is currently limited. We examined mass exchange at the SWI by combining laboratory tarcer experiments and the development of a flow reactive transport (FRT) model. NaCl and Foron Blue 291 tracers were used as surrogates of conservative and moderately sorptive organic pollutants, respectively. Tracer experiments in the bench-scale river channel reproduced the influence of overlying water velocities, the source of the pollutant, and its sorption capacity on pollutant exchange. A methodological framework to calibrate the FRT model against experiments was developed. Good agreement between the experimental and numerical results confirmed the robustness of the experimental setup and numerical model. The pollutant origin, either from the sediment or the overlying water, did not affect the pollutant exchange rates. The exchange rates were quasi-proportional to the overlying water velocity. The sediment bed caused retention of more than half of the initially injected mass of Foron Blue 291. The moderately sorptive tracer partitioning retarded the equilibrium up to 6 times compared with the conservative tracer NaCl. Numerical tests, including both overlying and vertical velocities, showed that the latter is the main factor controlling pollutant exchange at the SWI. Altogether, the model allows capturing interactions between pollutant transport and partitioning to the rivers sediment, paving the way for systematic investigations of pollutant behaviour in rivers.
View
Determination of glyphosate, AMPA and glufosinate by high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection in waters of the Santarém Plateau, Brazilian Amazon
Article
  • Jun 2020
Herbicide use, mainly glyphosate, has been intense in worldwide agriculture, including in the Brazilian Amazon region. This study aimed to validate a method for determining glyphosate and its degradation product, AMPA, and glufosinate by HPLC-FL in 58 water samples collected at the Santarém plateau region (Planalto Santareno), in the western of Pará state, Brazil. The method involves filtration and direct injection in the HPLC-FL for AMPA analysis, or previous concentration (10×) by lyophilization for glufosinate and glyphosate analysis. Analytes were oxidized and complexed with o-phthalaldehyde and 2-mercaptoethanol in a post-column reaction before fluorescence detection. LOQs for AMPA, glyphosate and glufosinate were established at 0.5, 0.2 and 0.3 μg L⁻¹, respectively. A total of 58 samples were collected. Glyphosate and glufosinate were not detected in any of the 30 surface water samples collected in 2015 (<LOQ), and AMPA was detected in 6 samples (0.65–1.93 μg L⁻¹). A total of 28 ground and surface water samples were collected in 2017 and analyzed for glyphosate, which was detected in 11 samples (7 ground water samples), with concentrations between 1.5 and 9.7 μg L⁻¹. A continuous pesticide monitoring of the Amazonian water system is essential to guarantee the preservation of this important ecosystem.
View
Trace elements in soils and plants: Fourth edition
Book
  • Oct 2010
Still the Gold Standard Resource on Trace Elements and Metals in Soils This highly anticipated fourth edition of the bestselling Trace Elements in Soils and Plants reflects the explosion of research during the past decade regarding the presence and actions of trace elements in the soil-plant environment. The book provides information on the biogeochemistry of these elements and explores how they affect food quality. Incorporating data from over 1500 new resources, this edition includes the most up-to-date information on the relationship of trace elements to topics such as: •Soil natural/background contents •Sorption/desorption processes •Anthropogenic impact and soil phytoremediation •Phytoavailability and functions in plants •Contents of food plants The book discusses the assessment of the natural/background content of trace elements in soil, bioindication of the chemical status of environmental compartments, soil remediation, and hyperaccumulation and phytoextraction of trace metals from the soil. The table of contents reflects the IUPAC’s recommendation for numbering element groups, giving the new edition an updated organizational flow. Trace Elements in Soils and Plants, Fourth Edition illustrates why trace elements’ behavior in soil controls their transfer in the food chain, making this book an invaluable reference for agronomists, soil and plant scientists, nutritionists, and geochemists.
View