Dissipation of the insecticide profenofos in tropical agricultural soils (Berambadi catchment, South India): Insight from compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA).

Assessing the role of agricultural lands in pesticide contamination of water ecosystems is critical for water management agencies and policymakers when formulating effective mitigation strategies. Current approaches based on concentration measurements are often insufficient to evaluate the contribution of pesticide dissipation processes in complex agroecosystems. This study focuses on the dissipation of profenofos insecticide within plots subject to intensive agriculture in the Berambadi watershed (India).

Emissions and transport of urban biocides from facades to topsoil at the district-scale.

Urban biocides used in facade paints and renders to prevent algae and fungal growth are released into the environment during rainfall, subsequently contaminating groundwater. However, quantitative data on the emission, transport and infiltration of urban biocides at the district scale are generally lacking. In this study, we quantified the fluxes of the urban biocide terbutryn and its major transformation product, terbutryn-sulfoxide, from building facades into stormwater, sediment, soil, and vegetation within a seven-year-old district employing sustainable stormwater management such as infiltration trenches and ponds.

Stable isotope composition of pesticides in commercial formulations: The ISOTOPEST database.

By assessing the changes in stable isotope compositions within individual pesticide molecules, Compound Specific Isotope Analysis (CSIA) holds the potential to identify and differentiate sources and quantify pesticide degradation in the environment. However, the environmental application of pesticide CSIA is limited by the general lack of knowledge regarding the initial isotopic composition of active substances in commercially available formulations used by farmers. To address this limitation, we established a database aimed at cataloguing and disseminating isotopic signatures in commercial formulations to expand the use of pesticide CSIA.

Emissions of the Urban Biocide Terbutryn from Facades: The Contribution of Transformation Products.

Biocides are added to facade paints and renders to prevent algal and fungal growth. The emissions of biocides and their transformation products from building facades during wind-driven rain can contaminate surface waters, soil, and groundwater. Although the emissions of biocide transformation products may be higher than those of the parent biocide, knowledge of the emissions of transformation products over time is scarce.

Evaluating pesticide degradation in artificial wetlands with compound-specific isotope analysis: A case study with the fungicide dimethomorph.

Pesticide degradation in wetland systems intercepting agricultural runoff is often overlooked and mixed with other dissipation processes when assessing pesticide concentrations alone. This study focused on the potential of compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA) to estimate pesticide degradation in a stormwater wetland receiving pesticide runoff from a vineyard catchment. The fungicide dimethomorph (DIM), with diastereoisomers E and Z, was the prevalent pesticide in the runoff entering the wetland from June to September 2020.