National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Project
USGS scientists studied 11 herbicides and insecticides frequently detected in the Corn Belt region, which generally includes Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska and Ohio, as well as parts of adjoining states. This area has among the highest pesticide use in the nation — mostly herbicides used for weed control in corn and soybeans. Findings show that concentrations of several major pesticides mostly declined or stayed the same in Corn Belt rivers and streams from 1996 to 2006. The declines in pesticide concentrations closely followed declines in their annual applications, indicating that reducing pesticide use is an effective and reliable strategy for reducing pesticide contamination in streams.
The USGS information (including a USGS report, journal article, and press release) can be accessed at: http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/pnsp.
For questions or more details on the USGS study, please contact the lead scientists, including:
Dan Sullivan (djsulliv@usgs.gov) (608) 821-3869
Skip Vecchia (avecchia@usgs.gov) (701) 250-7412)
Bob Gilliom (rgilliom@usgs.gov) (916) 278-3094)
U.S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/home_maps/pesticide_trends.html
Page Contact Information: gs-w_nawqa_whq@usgs.gov
Page Last Modified: Tuesday, 04-Mar-2014 14:43:58 EST
