Pesticides in aquifers from Latin America and the Caribbean

GRONDONA, SEBASTIAN IVÁN; LIMA, MARÍA LOURDES; MASSONE, HÉCTOR ENRIQUE; MIGLIORANZA, KARINA SILVIA BEATRIZ

THE SCIENCE OF TOTAL ENVIRONMENT

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2023 vol. 901

0048-9697

In Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), agriculture is the primary consumer of water and the biggest user ofpesticides worldwide. Given that groundwater is a crucial resource in this region, a systematic review wasconducted to evaluate the current state of knowledge on the presence of pesticides in aquifers. The reviewexamined 48 research papers published between 1998 and 2020, and found that only six countries in the regionhave information on pesticides in groundwater. A total of 70 agrochemicals were detected, encompassing legacypesticides, herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, and metabolites. Herbicides, including the widely used atrazineand glyphosate, were the most commonly detected current-use pesticides. These herbicides are being graduallybanned or restricted due to their potentially harmful effects on the environment. Factors that contribute to thepresence of these contaminants in aquifers include preferential flows, seasonal variations in rainfall, aquifer type,unsaturated zone thickness, and land use and management practices. Researchers noted that analysis of thesecontaminants is often beyond the economic or methodological scope, and analytical capacity in the region isgenerally limited. Based on the findings of this review, there is a clear need for groundwater pesticide monitoringin the region to reduce health risks to humans and ecosystems.