Mechanisms of Groundwater Pollution by Pesticides

Abstract

Abstract An increasing number of pesticide compounds are being detected in groundwater supplies worldwide. There has, nevertheless, been little research into the mechanisms by which such pollution occurs and the routes via which pesticides move from the land surface into aquifers. In view of the potential time‐lag in the response of groundwater systems to pollution inputs, such knowledge is essential if the current situation is to be appraised adequately and if any necessary controls on pesticide use are to be introduced. From basic data on the physicochemical properties of pesticide compounds and on groundwater flow and pollutant transport in the principal British aquifers, some useful observations can be made about the relative significance of different mechanisms of potential groundwater pollution. These mechanisms and their implications for field research on pesticide pollution of groundwater are discussed. This problem is compared and contrasted to that of nitrate pollution from agricultural land‐use practices.