Neonicotinoids and atrazine in children’s finished household drinking water and irrigation water near floriculture in Pedro Moncayo, Ecuador

eScholarship, University of California 2024-01-01

Background: Neonicotinoid insecticides (NNI) and atrazine are widely used in agriculture and floriculture,posing significant ecological and health risks. Limited research has been conducted on the presence of NNI and atrazine in drinking water, few studies have been conducted in irrigation water, and little research has been conducted in agricultural regions of Latin America. Methods: This study describes the concentrations of NNI and atrazine in drinking and irrigation water sampled in 2022 and 2023 in Pedro Moncayo, Ecuador, a region known for intensive floriculture. The study incorporated geospatial modeling techniques and systematic water sampling to characterize concentrations of these pesticides in different water sources, including pre-and post-drinking water treatment and in household taps along piped distribution systems and large-scale irrigation systems. ix Results: We found NNI in drinking water for 7 out of 44 household tap water (15.9%) samples. Imidacloprid and thiamethoxam emerged as the most frequently detected NNI in drinking water. Atrazine was detected in one household tap and one well in the study site. Notably higher NNI concentrations were found in household tap water in this study compared to other studies; imidacloprid concentrations were as high as 20,889 ng/L. Similarly, high concentrations of thiamethoxam (15,320 ng/L), clothianidin (219 ng/L), and acetamiprid (350 ng/L) were recorded in household tap water in the parish of Tabacundo in Pedro Moncayo. In irrigation water samples, NNI was detected in 56% of samples (n=14 out of 25), with concentrations as high as 2,401 ng/L, and thiamethoxam and imidacloprid were the most frequently detected NNI in irrigation water. Discussion: The unusually high concentrations of NNI in both drinking and irrigation water in Pedro Moncayo highlight potential risks to human health and the environment. Our study demonstrates the need for monitoring of NNI and atrazine in drinking and irrigation water in inte

Public health; publication

Open access content. Open access content
public

English

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