Assessing pesticide pollution of groundwater: Current knowledge and remaining gaps

摘要

The paper summarises recent research on pesticides in groundwater in both temperate and tropial regions. Results of field, laboratory and modelling studies highlight the factors which determine the fate and behaviour of pesticides in groundwater systems. These include transport pathways from the soil to the water table and thence to supply sources, and the processes such as adsorption and degradation which can help to attenuate pesticide movement and reduce concentrations. Studies of degradation show that most compounds are likely to be much more persistent in aquifers than in soils, but below the water table the long travel times and potential for dilution may greatly reduce concentrations. The greatest risks are likely to occur in fractured aquifers, with their potential for much more rapid flow.