Pesticide Occurrence in Ground Water in Areas of Intense Agriculture in Alabama
Project Chief: Richard Moreland
Cooperator: Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries
Period of Project: FY08-FY09
Agriculture is an important part of the State of Alabama’s economy. In 2002 over 8.9 million acres were used for agricultural purposes in the state and over 3.2 billion dollars of agricultural products were sold. Field and miscellaneous row crops contributed over 446 million dollars in production. Agricultural pesticides including insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides, improve crop production by limiting losses to noxious insects, weeds, and fungi.
In 2002 over 2.6 million acres were treated with some form of pesticide. While agricultural pesticides can greatly improve crop production, their fate in the environment, particularly ground water, is often not well known. A pesticides presence in ground water is influenced by many factors including application rates and methods, the compound’s stability, biologic breakdown, soil permeability, and depth to the water table. The physical features that make an area more suited for agriculture, such as well drained soils, low sloping terrain, and irrigation, also increase direct recharge to ground water.
The Pesticide Management Branch of the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries is responsible for monitoring the fate of various pesticides in the environment. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Pesticide Management Branch, is evaluating the occurrence of agricultural pesticides in ground water in three areas of intensive agriculture in Alabama: the Tennessee River Valley, the Wiregrass region in southeastern Alabama, and the coastal region of Baldwin County, Alabama. Ground-water wells will be selected for sampling through evaluation of existing ground-water quality and well construction data, and land use practices. Shallow wells in or adjacent to row crop areas will be targeted. To maintain continuity with previous studies, efforts will be made to resample wells used in previous studies. Samples will be analyzed using USGS Lab Schedule 2033, which analyzes for 87 pesticides and pesticide degredates. Field parameters of pH, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, temperature, turbidity, and pre- and post-pumping water levels will also be recorded.
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U.S. Department of the Interior |
U.S. Geological Survey
