The current Argentine agricultural production model is dependent on agrochemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides. Extensive agriculture and horticulture are the two major productive activities that use copious amounts of pesticides. Extensive agriculture is characterized by areas of 50 to 100 ha of a single crop, while peri-urban horticulture is characterized by intense land use, with farms ranging from 1 to 3 ha cultivated with a variety of vegetables.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe current agricultural production model was established in the 1990s based on the use of genetically modified organisms and agrochemicals, mainly pesticides. Despite pesticide spread and prevalence, data on the associated concentrations in surface watercourses are comparatively scarce. The aim of this work was to evaluate to what extent the >20 years of agricultural activity with the use of pesticides has impacted on the Gualeguay-River basin, with respect to the different stream orders: the tributary streams and main channel.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTriclosan (TCS) is a synthetic broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent commonly used world-wide in a range of personal care and sanitizing products detected frequently in aquatic ecosystems. The aim of this study was to examine biochemical markers responses triggered by TCS in and in a native South American fish species (). Further, an integrated approach comparing both test fish species was undertaken.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTriclosan (TCS) is an antimicrobial and antimycotic agent widely used in personal care products. In aquatic environments, both TCS and its biomethylated more persistent form, methyl-triclosan (MeTCS), are usually detected in wastewater effluents and rivers, where are commonly adsorbed to suspended solids and sediments. The aim of this study was to evaluate biochemical and physiological effects in Danio rerio after a short term (2 days) and prolonged (21 days) exposures to sediment spiked with TCS acting as the source of the pollutant in the assay.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPeri-urban horticulture is crucial to local populations, but a global paucity of information exists regarding the contamination of the associated waterways because of this activity. The aim of this study was to assess pesticide pollution of surface water, suspended particulate matter and bottom sediments from the Carnaval Creek Basin (La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina) - a representative system of waterways surrounded by horticultural production - by over 40 selected herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides by gas-chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry and ultraperformance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Six sampling campaigns were conducted biannually from 2015 to 2017.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGlyphosate-based herbicides are used in horticulture to prepare the soil for planting and to remove weeds surrounding greenhouses. Superficial runoff from production units can lead to glyphosate reaching nearby water bodies. Previous publications reported glyphosate's high affinity for suspended solids.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDimethoate (D) are among the most commonly used organophosphates insecticides in the world. To evaluate the toxicity of two D formulations were selected as test organisms tadpoles of Rhinella arenarum. This toad species has an extensive neotropical distribution and is easy to handle and acclimate to laboratory conditions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVegetable production systems are characterized by intense pesticide use, yet the effects on the surrounding environment are largely unknown and need to be studied. Given this knowledge gap, the objective of this work is to determine the impact of horticulture on a representative watercourse by conducting an integrated study of the occurrence and concentration of pesticides in bottom sediments and their relation to lethal and sublethal effects on benthic fauna. Two sampling campaigns were conducted during seasons of low and high pesticide application in five sites along the Carnaval creek, located in the peri-urban area of La Plata City (Buenos Aires, Argentina).
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