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Title: Triazine herbcides: Ecological risk assessment in North American surface waters

Abstract

The triazine herbicides are some of the most widely used pesticides in North America. Some are found in surface waters in North America and risks to aquatic ecosystems are a possible concern. This paper presents the results of a comprehensive aquatic ecological risk assessment conducted using probabilistic risk assessment techniques. The assessment of exposure data concentrated on Midwestern us watersheds, the area of greatest triazine use in North America and showed that concentrations of some triazines rarely exceeded 20 {mu}g/L in rivers, streams, and reservoirs. The effects assessment showed that phytoplankton were the most sensitive organisms to triazines followed, in decreasing order of sensitivity, by macrophytes, benthic invertebrates, zooplankton and fish. Distribution analysis of sensitivity to atrazine showed 10th percentile of 37 {mu}g/L for LC50s in all organisms and 5.4 {mu}g/L for LC50s in algae and plants. Simazine showed 10th percentiles of 188 {mu}g/L for LC50s in all organisms and 27 {mu}g/L for LC50s in aquatic plants. Comparisons of the exposure and effects distributions showed low probabilities of exceeding the 10th percentiles of the sensitivity distributions. These results will be discussed in relation to the mechanism of action of these substances and other stressors in the environment.

Authors:
 [1]
  1. Univ. of Guelph (Canada)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
369978
Report Number(s):
CONF-960376-
TRN: 96:003805-0025
Resource Type:
Conference
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
Subject:
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 55 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE, BASIC STUDIES; SURFACE WATERS; WATER POLLUTION; ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS; TOXICITY; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; PESTICIDES; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; ALGAE; INVERTEBRATES; PLANT GROWTH; HERBICIDES; PHYTOPLANKTON; RISK ASSESSMENT; RIVERS; STREAMS; TRIAZINES; WATERSHEDS; ZOOPLANKTON

Citation Formats

Solomon, K R. Triazine herbcides: Ecological risk assessment in North American surface waters. United States: N. p., 1996. Web.
Solomon, K R. Triazine herbcides: Ecological risk assessment in North American surface waters. United States.
Solomon, K R. 1996. "Triazine herbcides: Ecological risk assessment in North American surface waters". United States.
@article{osti_369978,
title = {Triazine herbcides: Ecological risk assessment in North American surface waters},
author = {Solomon, K R},
abstractNote = {The triazine herbicides are some of the most widely used pesticides in North America. Some are found in surface waters in North America and risks to aquatic ecosystems are a possible concern. This paper presents the results of a comprehensive aquatic ecological risk assessment conducted using probabilistic risk assessment techniques. The assessment of exposure data concentrated on Midwestern us watersheds, the area of greatest triazine use in North America and showed that concentrations of some triazines rarely exceeded 20 {mu}g/L in rivers, streams, and reservoirs. The effects assessment showed that phytoplankton were the most sensitive organisms to triazines followed, in decreasing order of sensitivity, by macrophytes, benthic invertebrates, zooplankton and fish. Distribution analysis of sensitivity to atrazine showed 10th percentile of 37 {mu}g/L for LC50s in all organisms and 5.4 {mu}g/L for LC50s in algae and plants. Simazine showed 10th percentiles of 188 {mu}g/L for LC50s in all organisms and 27 {mu}g/L for LC50s in aquatic plants. Comparisons of the exposure and effects distributions showed low probabilities of exceeding the 10th percentiles of the sensitivity distributions. These results will be discussed in relation to the mechanism of action of these substances and other stressors in the environment.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/369978}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1996},
month = {Tue Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1996}
}

Conference:
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