Fungicide contamination of Mediterranean estuarine waters: Results from a MED POL pilot survey
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Readman, J. W.
(EN)
Πανεπιστήμιο Ιωαννίνων. Σχολή Θετικών Επιστημών. Τμήμα Χημείας
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Readman, J. W.
(EN)
Fungicides are used extensively in agriculture, Negligible information is, however, available concerning the potential for these compounds to reach and impact estuarine and marine systems, To investigate possible contamination of the Mediterranean Sea from this class of agrochemicals, a pilot survey was undertaken during 1994, Riverine, estuarine and marine water samples were taken from the Ebro Delta, Spain, the Rhone Delta in the south of France, the River Po in Italy/Northern Adriatic sea and the Amvrakikos and Thermaikos Gulfs in Greece, They were analysed for selected fungicides which are used extensively in the countries involved, Compounds screened for included: captafol; captan; carbendazim; chlorothalonil; dicloran; ethirimol; folpet; fenpropimorph; metalaxyl; and vinclozolin, Results from the survey indicate that most of these fungicides are insufficiently persistent to impact estuarine and marine environments, Some, however, were detected during this survey: dicloran (Rhone Delta); carbendazim (Ebro Delta); captafol (River Po and N. Adriatic); captan (Greek rivers and lagoons); folpet (River Po, N. Adriatic and Loudias River, Greece); and vinclozolin (River Po), Contamination in these instances was generally restricted to drainage canals and riverine samples and was associated with known agricultural applications. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.
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