Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2006ME83B

A sequential time-weighted average approach for monitoring pesticide levels in Maine surface waters

Institute: Maine
Year Established: 2006 Start Date: 2006-09-01 End Date: 2008-08-31
Total Federal Funds: $44,400 Total Non-Federal Funds: $102,372

Principal Investigators: Howard Patterson, Lucner Charlestra

Project Summary: ABSTRACT Many environmental stakeholders believe that the pesticides used in the cultivation of wild and low bush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium), may negatively impact Atlantic Salmon ( Salmo solar) habitats. Accordingly, specialists at the University of Maine and the Board of Pesticide Control (BPC) have used grab sampling and ISCO auto samplers to survey surface waters in Washington and Hancock Counties. The surveys reveal the presence of hexazinone, phosmet, terbacil, chlorothalonil and propiconazole in salmon-supported rivers (Yarborough, 2004; Jackson, 2003). The traditional monitoring methods mentioned above provide concentration estimates only for the moment of sampling and do not allow for an exposure assessment of aquatic organisms to the contaminants. Therefore, there are unanswered questions about the term of exposure of Atlantic Salmons or other aquatic organisms to episodic events in the streams. This project proposes to use a passive sampler (Polar Organic Chemical Integrative Sampler [POCIS]) to come up with a sequential time-weighted average monitoring approach to detect pesticides in some Washington and Hancock Counties watersheds. The data generated from this research project will be useful in the prediction of pesticide behavior under a set of environmental conditions. Also, they will provide environmental stakeholders with important tools for assessing the potential exposure of aquatic organisms to pesticides in the affected watersheds.