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publications > papers > occurance and distribution of contaminents > results and discussion

Occurrence And Distribution Of Contaminants In Bottom Sediment And Water Of The Barron River Canal, Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida, October 1998

Ronald L. Miller and Benjamin F. Mcpherson
Water Resources Division, United States Geological Survey, 4710 Eisenhower Blvd., B-5, Tampa, FL 33634 USA

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION:

Home
Background
Purpose and Scope
Approach and Methods
Results and Discussion
- trace elements
- PAHs, phthalate esters, and PCBs
- pesticides
Conclusions
Pesticides in bottom sediment and water-

The range of concentrations for selected organochlorine pesticides in bed sediment from the Barron River Canal and Turner River sites, along with criteria for aquatic life, are given (Table 4). No pesticides were detected in sediment from the Barron River Canal and Turner River sites except for 2 concentrations of p,p’-DDE at the two most northern canal sites (1.1 µg/kg south of the Panther Overpass and 3.4 µg/kg south of CR- 858), and one concentration of 1.5 µg/kg of p, p’-DDD south of Wagon Wheel Road. Both of these compounds are degradation products of DDT, but DDD is also an insecticide. None of the detected pesticides exceeded aquatic-life criteria.

TABLE 4. Concentrations of selected organochlorine pesticides in bottom sediments from the Barron River Canal and the Turner River and aquatic-life criteria: October 1998.
Compound
a Concentration range
b Canadian probable effect levels
c Aquatic-life criteria
Total chlordane
<5
8.87
6
p,p’-DDD+o,p’-DDD
<1 - 1.5
8.51
d --
p,p’ DDE + o,p’ DDE
<1 - 3.4
6.75
--
p,p’-DDE
1 - 3
--
15
Total DDT
<10
4.77
46.1
Dieldrin
<5
6.67
110
Endrin
<10
62.4
42
g-HCH (lindane)
<5
1.38
1.38
Heptachlor epoxide
<5
2.74
--
a Concentrations are in micrograms per kilogram of dry weight.
b Canadian probable effect levels from Environment Canada, 1999.
c Aquatic-life criteria summarized by Gilliom et al, 1998.
d Not available.

Although Grabe (1996) found 99 ppb ( µg/kg) of alpha symbol-BHC (a degradation product of lindane which is also called gamma symbol-BHC) in the Barron River Canal near CR-858, we did not detect (at detection limits of 1 - 4 µg/kg) lindane or the alpha symbol and beta symbol isomers of BHC in any of our Barron River Canal samples collected in October 1998. Pesticides in the bottom sediments of the Barron River Canal were less frequently detected and occurred in lower concentrations than those measured at some other sites is south Florida in 1995-96 as part of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program. Haag and coworkers (1998) show site locations of these unpublished data.

Nine pesticide compounds were detected (18 detections including estimated values) in water samples collected October 26-29, 1998, at four sites along the Barron River Canal (Table 5). Thirteen of the 18 detections were at the two northern sites and in most cases pesticide concentrations were highest at the two northern sites. The northern sites are within the citrus and vegetable growing areas near Immokalee. Samples for pesticides in water were also previously collected three times at the Barron River Canal site 1.1 km north of US-41 (Miller et al, 1999), and the following pesticides were detected: atrazine (0.004 µg/L) and propanil (0.006 µg/L) in August 1996; atrazine (0.003 µg/L), simazine (0.003 µg/L), and 2,4-D (0.15 µg/L) in June 1997. In August 1997, no dissolved pesticides were detected at that site. Miller and others (1999) also sampled two BICY sites along the Tamiami Trail that were 23 and 56 km east of the Barron River Canal and detected atrazine, desethylatrazine, tebuthiuron, and azinphosmethyl.

TABLE 5. Concentrations of pesticides detected in surface water: October 1998 and June 1997.
3.9 kilometers south of Panther Overpassa
6.9 kilometers north of
I-75a
Copeland Road Camp No. 27a
1.1 kilometers north of
US- 41a
1.1 kilometers north of
US- 41b
c Canadian Freshwater Guidelines for protection of Aquatic Life
d Aquatic- life criteria
Atrazine
e,f 0.01E
0.01
0.007E
0.006E
0.003E
1.8
2
Carbaryl
0.007E
0.009E
0.008E
0.007E
<0.003
0.20
g --
2,4-D
<0.15
<0.15
<0.15
<0.15
0.15
--
4
Desethylatrazine
0.006E
0.003E
0.003E
<0.002
<0.002
--
--
Diuron
0.05
<0.02
<0.02
<0.02
<0.02
--
--
Metolachlor
0.005E
0.005
<0.004
<0.002
<0.002
7.8
8
Metribuzin
<0.004
0.007
<0.004
<0.004
<0.004
1.0
1
Norflurazon
0.02E
<0.02
<0.02
<0.02
<0.02
--
--
Propanil
<0.004
0.004E
<0.004
<0.004
<0.004
--
--
Simazine
<0.04
0.005
<0.01
<0.01
0.003E
10
10
a Sampled October 1998.
b Sampled June 1997.
c Canadian freshwater guidelines for protection of aquatic life from Environment Canada, 1999.
d Aquatic-life criteria for surface water summarized by Gilliom et al, 1998.
e Concentrations in micrograms per liter.
f E indicates an estimated concentration.
g Not available.

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