OCCURRENCE OF PRIORITY PESTICIDES IN WATER NATURAL - BASIS FOR THE ASSURANCE OF MULTIPLE USES AND PUBLIC POLICIES

• Grant number: 12/00303-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: April 01, 2012
• End date: August 31, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Interdisciplinary Subjects
• Principal Investigator: Gisela de Aragão Umbuzeiro
• Grantee: Cassiana Carolina Montagner
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Tecnologia (FT). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Limeira , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The use of pesticides is of fundamental importance to sustain the Brazilian agricultural model, which presents high productivity indices. Currently, different chemical substances are used to control a specific set of pests; these substances can reach surface waters and potentially harmful to non-target organisms, such as the aquatic biota and humans. The preservation of the environmental quality is one of the main challenges in this scenario, considering the high amount of pesticides that is released in the environment. Brazil is the biggest consumer of pesticides in the world; however, Brazilian regulations are incomplete regarding water quality standards for all the potential pesticides that can be found in the water. The choice of contaminants that should be regulated is not a trivial task. It is necessary to consider the amount of substance used, its potential hazard to the non target species, its physical-chemical characteristics and its occurrence in the aquatic environment. The objective of this project is to select the more relevant pesticides based on the list already proposed of priority compounds for São Paulo State, develop an analytical method for determination of these substances in sub-nanogram per liter level. For that we will employ solid phase extraction and liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (SPE-LC-MS/MS). This method will allow the evaluation the levels that the biota is exposed in different water bodies of the São Paulo State, located in agricultural areas, using a planned sampling program carried out according to the periods of pesticides application. Concomitantly, water quality criteria for the preservation of the aquatic life will be calculated for the relevant pesticides found in the water bodies and the obtained values will be compared with the observed concentrations. Thus, it will be possible, for the first time in Brazil, to obtain subsidises for public policies, based on actual data and a risk assessment approach.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

MONTAGNER, CASSIANA C.; JARDIM, WILSON F.; VON DER OHE, PETER C.; UMBUZEIRO, GISELA A.. Occurrence and potential risk of triclosan in freshwaters of Sao Paulo, Brazil-the need for regulatory actions. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, v. 21, n. 3, p. 1850-1858, FEB 2014. (08/57808-1, 12/00303-0)

MONTAGNER, C. C.; UMBUZEIRO, G. A.; PASQUINI, C.; JARDIM, W. F.. Caffeine as an indicator of estrogenic activity in source water. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE-PROCESSES & IMPACTS, v. 16, n. 8, p. 1866-1869, AUG 2014. (08/57808-1, 12/00303-0)

MONTAGNER, CASSIANA C.; VIDAL, CRISTIANE; ACAYABA, RAPHAEL D.; JARDIM, WILSON F.; JARDIM, ISABEL C. S. F.; UMBUZEIRO, GISELA A.. Trace analysis of pesticides and an assessment of their occurrence in surface and drinking waters from the State of Sao Paulo (Brazil). ANALYTICAL METHODS, v. 6, n. 17, p. 6668-6677, SEP 7 2014. (08/57808-1, 12/00303-0)