Sat Mar 23, 2024 11:33 pm by globalturbo
70,000 Tons of Pesticides Leach Into Aquifers Every Year: Global Study
The authors of a new study published in Nature called on national authorities to disclose statistics on the use of agricultural fertilizers and pesticides, given how they affect global ecosystems and freshwater sources.
By
Sustainable Pulse
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A global study published last week in Nature, which analyzed the geographic distribution of 92 of the most commonly used agricultural pesticides, found that approximately 70,000 tons of potentially harmful chemicals leach into aquifers each year, impacting ecosystems and freshwater resources.
Associate professor Federico Maggi, Ph.D., the study’s lead author from the University of Sydney’s School of Civil Engineering, said:
“Our study has revealed that pesticides wander far from their original source. In many cases these chemicals end up a long way downstream and often, though in much smaller amounts, all the way to the ocean.”
The study showed that about 80% of applied pesticides degrade into daughter molecules — or byproducts — in the soil surrounding crops.
Maggi said:
“This degradation of pesticides often occurs as a ‘cascade’ of molecules into the surrounding environment, which can persist in the environment for a long time and can be just as harmful as the parent molecule or applied pesticide.
“One such example is glyphosate. Although it is highly degradable, it breaks down into a molecule known as AMPA that is both highly persistent and toxic.”
While the study found that only a fraction of pesticides enter river systems after field application, once in the water most of the active ingredients end up in the ocean, with potential negative impacts on marine wildlife and coral reefs. This puts at risk the very basis of marine and freshwater food chains.
“On paper, 0.1 percent leaching into fresh waterways might not sound like much,” said Maggi. “But it only takes a tiny amount of pesticides to have a negative impact on the environment.”
The study showed that 730 tons of pesticides enter rivers each year, with about 13,000 kilometers of rivers reaching chemical concentrations above safety limits for a number of aquatic plants and invertebrates, with poorly understood consequences on rivers’ ecosystems.
Fiona Tang, Ph.D., a lecturer in water engineering at Monash University and paper co-author said:
“Just because we don’t see pesticide residues in soil and water doesn’t mean they’re not there, impacting critical systems on land, rivers and oceans.”
Paper co-author, Francesco Tubiello, Ph.D., senior environmental statistician at the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation, said:
“We must urgently adopt sustainable management strategies to promote reductions in field applications of harmful pesticides and set in place systems to effectively monitor their use under the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.”
The research team used a large collection of publicly accessible geospatial data to conduct the study.
However, the authors say the paper is a conservative estimate because not all pesticides were included in the analysis.
They did not analyze legacy pesticides and those used in aquaculture, private dwellings and public spaces, meaning the risk exposure of ecosystems and people to these chemicals could be higher.
Maggi last week co-authored a separate paper in Nature Ecology and Evolution that outlined recommendations to reduce pesticide use, including calling for a reliable set of indicators and improved monitoring.
He and the paper’s co-authors argue that targets for lowering pesticide pollution should be focused on decreasing risk, including reducing amounts and toxicity, because some organisms are at high risk from very toxic pesticides, even when used in low quantities.
“It is important that national authorities disclose statistics on the use of agricultural inputs, be they fertilizers or pesticides, given the effect they have on the environment and ecosystem service,” he said.
Maggi said a global reduction in pesticide use while maintaining food security was possible as long as such initiatives were designed and implemented in consultation with food producers.
“Globally, there is a lot of room to increase efficiencies and yield while still supporting an abundant food supply through new technology and modern crop management practices,” he said.
Originally published by Sustainable Pulse.
THANKS TO: https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/pesticides-leach-aquifers-global/?utm_source=luminate&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=defender&utm_id=20230718
The authors of a new study published in Nature called on national authorities to disclose statistics on the use of agricultural fertilizers and pesticides, given how they affect global ecosystems and freshwater sources.
By
Sustainable Pulse
Miss a day, miss a lot. Subscribe to The Defender's Top News of the Day. It's free.
A global study published last week in Nature, which analyzed the geographic distribution of 92 of the most commonly used agricultural pesticides, found that approximately 70,000 tons of potentially harmful chemicals leach into aquifers each year, impacting ecosystems and freshwater resources.
Associate professor Federico Maggi, Ph.D., the study’s lead author from the University of Sydney’s School of Civil Engineering, said:
“Our study has revealed that pesticides wander far from their original source. In many cases these chemicals end up a long way downstream and often, though in much smaller amounts, all the way to the ocean.”
The study showed that about 80% of applied pesticides degrade into daughter molecules — or byproducts — in the soil surrounding crops.
Maggi said:
“This degradation of pesticides often occurs as a ‘cascade’ of molecules into the surrounding environment, which can persist in the environment for a long time and can be just as harmful as the parent molecule or applied pesticide.
“One such example is glyphosate. Although it is highly degradable, it breaks down into a molecule known as AMPA that is both highly persistent and toxic.”
While the study found that only a fraction of pesticides enter river systems after field application, once in the water most of the active ingredients end up in the ocean, with potential negative impacts on marine wildlife and coral reefs. This puts at risk the very basis of marine and freshwater food chains.
“On paper, 0.1 percent leaching into fresh waterways might not sound like much,” said Maggi. “But it only takes a tiny amount of pesticides to have a negative impact on the environment.”
The study showed that 730 tons of pesticides enter rivers each year, with about 13,000 kilometers of rivers reaching chemical concentrations above safety limits for a number of aquatic plants and invertebrates, with poorly understood consequences on rivers’ ecosystems.
Fiona Tang, Ph.D., a lecturer in water engineering at Monash University and paper co-author said:
“Just because we don’t see pesticide residues in soil and water doesn’t mean they’re not there, impacting critical systems on land, rivers and oceans.”
Paper co-author, Francesco Tubiello, Ph.D., senior environmental statistician at the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation, said:
“We must urgently adopt sustainable management strategies to promote reductions in field applications of harmful pesticides and set in place systems to effectively monitor their use under the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.”
The research team used a large collection of publicly accessible geospatial data to conduct the study.
However, the authors say the paper is a conservative estimate because not all pesticides were included in the analysis.
They did not analyze legacy pesticides and those used in aquaculture, private dwellings and public spaces, meaning the risk exposure of ecosystems and people to these chemicals could be higher.
Maggi last week co-authored a separate paper in Nature Ecology and Evolution that outlined recommendations to reduce pesticide use, including calling for a reliable set of indicators and improved monitoring.
He and the paper’s co-authors argue that targets for lowering pesticide pollution should be focused on decreasing risk, including reducing amounts and toxicity, because some organisms are at high risk from very toxic pesticides, even when used in low quantities.
“It is important that national authorities disclose statistics on the use of agricultural inputs, be they fertilizers or pesticides, given the effect they have on the environment and ecosystem service,” he said.
Maggi said a global reduction in pesticide use while maintaining food security was possible as long as such initiatives were designed and implemented in consultation with food producers.
“Globally, there is a lot of room to increase efficiencies and yield while still supporting an abundant food supply through new technology and modern crop management practices,” he said.
Originally published by Sustainable Pulse.
THANKS TO: https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/pesticides-leach-aquifers-global/?utm_source=luminate&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=defender&utm_id=20230718
