Atrazine and total triazines: Exposure patterns in midwestern surface waters
- Heidelberg College, Tiffin, OH (United States)
Distributions of atrazine and total triazine exposures for aquatic organisms in the midwestern United States and Canada were characterized using the most complete datasets available, with attention to the sampling pattern used in obtaining the data. Distributions were established form stantaneous concentrations and for 96-hour and 21-day running averages. Time weighting and annualization were important to avoid distorted estimates of exposure concentrations; failure to use appropriate procedures can lead to order-of-magnitude errors in estimates of benchmarks such as the 90th percentile concentration. Atrazine and total triazine concentrations are characterized by strong seasonality, with elevated concentrations for a period of 6 to 10 weeks following application in May or June. Concentrations decline during July, August, and September, and for the rest of the year are near detection limit. Concentrations in running water are strongly influenced by storm runoff, with much higher concentrations during run off than during low-flow periods between run off events. Thus aquatic organisms in running waters experience pulsed exposures interspersed with recovery periods. 90th percentile concentrations were calculated for a number of rivers, streams, lakes, and reservoirs for comparison with ecological effects data. Total triazine concentrations are only slightly higher than atrazine concentrations in those waters for which comparisons were possible.
- OSTI ID:
- 369975
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-960376-; TRN: 96:003805-0022
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Spring national meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS), New Orleans, LA (United States), 24-28 Mar 1996; Other Information: PBD: 1996; Related Information: Is Part Of 211th ACS national meeting; PB: 2284 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Atmospheric transport and deposition, an additional input pathway for triazine herbicides to surface waters
Model simulation of atrazine exposure to aquatic nontarget organisms
Related Subjects
56 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
APPLIED STUDIES
55 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
BASIC STUDIES
SURFACE WATERS
WATER POLLUTION
TRIAZINES
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
RUNOFF
TOXICITY
ZOOPLANKTON
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
LAKES
RIVERS
STREAMS
SAMPLING