Pesticide mixtures a bigger problem than previously thought

Date:
July 14, 2020
Source:
University of Queensland
Summary:
New research has provided the first comprehensive analysis of
pesticide mixtures in creeks and rivers discharging to the Great
Barrier Reef.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
New research led by The University of Queensland has provided the
first comprehensive analysis of pesticide mixtures in creeks and rivers discharging to the Great Barrier Reef.


==========================================================================
UQ's School of Earth and Environmental Sciences researcher Associate
Professor Michael Warne conducted the study with the Queensland Department
of Environment and Science, and analysed 2600 water samples from 15
waterways that discharge into the Great Barrier Reef lagoon over a
four-year period.

"While I knew many water samples would contain mixtures, I was shocked
to find that essentially every sample contained mixtures of pesticides,"
Dr Warne said.

"We found 99.8 per cent of the samples contained pesticide mixtures with
up to 20 pesticides in any single water sample.

"The issue with having mixtures of pesticides is that as the number of pesticides increases the impact to aquatic ecosystems generally increases.

"This work strongly supports the inclusion of the pesticide reduction
target in the Reef 2050 Water Quality Improvement Plan which aims to
protect at least 99 per cent of aquatic organisms at the mouths of
rivers from the adverse effects of all pesticides." Dr Warne said the
best way to address the problem of pesticides and pesticide mixtures in
run-off was to work with land managers, share information and help them
to improve their pesticide management practices.

"We are doing just that with other partners including Farmacist, James
Cook University and the Department of Environment and Science through
Project Bluewater which is funded by the Great Barrier Reef Foundation,"
he said.

"This project is working with 70 sugar cane farmers in the Barratta
Creek and Plane River catchments to improve their pesticide management
and application, upgrade equipment, reduce pesticide use and switch to
using lower risk pesticides.

"We have found the farmers involved to be very eager to engage with the
science -- they have embraced the challenge and are making significant
steps toward improvement.

"We are looking to expand this project to include considerably more
farmers in more catchments and make more rapid progress in reducing
pesticide losses to waterways.

"There is always hope, but this study reveals the pesticide situation
is more complex than we previously realised."

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Queensland. Note:
Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. M. St.J. Warne, R.A. Smith, R.D.R. Turner. Analysis of pesticide
mixtures
discharged to the lagoon of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia.

Environmental Pollution, 2020; 265: 114088 DOI: 10.1016/
j.envpol.2020.114088 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/07/200714101253.htm

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