Monitoring the residues of currently used pesticides in agriculturally used fluvisols


Marek Šudoma, Hofman^a  J., Hvězdová^a M., Šimek^a Z., Sáňka^a M., Vašíčková^a J., Svobodová^a M.,
Škulcová^a L., Bielská^a L., Krkošková^a L. , Kosubová^b P., Košíková^c M., Dinisová^c P.,
Brandstaetter-Scherr^d K.

^a RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Czech Republic

^b Central Institute for Supervising and Testing in Agriculture, Czech Republic

^c AQUATEST Inc., Czech Republic

^d Institute of Environmental Biotechnology, IFA-Tulln, University of Natural Resources and Life
Sciences (BOKU), Austria

* sudoma@recetox.muni.cz


Demand for high food production in combination with decreasing soil quality induced by rapidly
growing population is related to the increasing usage of pesticides [1]. Currently used pesticides
(CUPs) include compounds of different chemical structures (organophosphates, pyrethroids,
triazines, azoles...) and exhibit a broad range of chemical properties. Despite the fact that there
are many non-bioaccumulative (logKOW < 0), non-persistent and quickly degradable, there are also
CUPs for which high bioaccumulation and persistency in soils can be expected, based on their
logKOW, logKOC, and DT50.

Among the soils most intensively used for agriculture in the Czech Republic belong Fluvisols -
soils developed in the vicinity of rivers. Fluvisols are frequently stressed by contamination
coming from floods with settled sediments [2,3] and are exposed to high inputs of agrochemicals
including CUPs. Understanding the fate and behavior of pesticides in fluvisols is fundamental for a
proper assessment of their effects on soil quality, crop quality, and, more generally, the
ecosystem and human health.

Therefore soil samples were taken in 75 agricultural localities in the vicinity of great Czech
rivers. These 75 sites were sampled in early spring before possible CUP applications in order to
identify CUP residues, not levels of CUPs which have been freshly applied. The basic soil
properties were obtained. Samples were extracted by QuEChERS method and analyzed by liquid
chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/MS) with a triple quadrupole (QQQ), which guarantees sensitive
CUP detection [4,5].

This study presents the list of CUPs present as residues in CR fluvisols, as well as their
concentration ranges. Data on the major CUP degradation products/metabolites detected in fluvisols
are included. Relationships between CUP residues and soil properties are revealed as well.


[1] Odukkathil G et al., 2013, Rev Environ Sci Biotech 12, 421-44;

[2] Vacha R et al., 2013, Plant Soil Environ 59, 136-42;

[3] Vácha R et al., 2014, Impact of floods on soil and food chains contamination with risky
compounds, Annual report of project VG20102014026 (in Czech);

[4] Andreu V et al., 2004, Trend Anal Chem 23, 772-89;

[5] Pico Y et al., 2004, Mass Spec Rev 23, 45-85;