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Herbicide and Pesticide Contamination of Water

Herbicide and Pesticide Contamination of Water. Andrew Sergeant. Introduction. What is in our water and how does it get there? What is it doing to us and other organisms? How can we clean our water?. Atrazine. Widespread contamination Most widely used herbicide in US

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Herbicide and Pesticide Contamination of Water

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  1. Herbicide and Pesticide Contamination of Water Andrew Sergeant

  2. Introduction • What is in our water and how does it get there? • What is it doing to us and other organisms? • How can we clean our water?

  3. Atrazine • Widespread contamination • Most widely used herbicide in US • Found in rainfall in excess of 1 ppb • Found in areas where Atrazine is not used • Disrupts endocrine systems of organisms like amphibians living in contaminated waters

  4. Atrazine use based on sales

  5. American Leopard Frogs • Suffering problems with reproductive glands • Male frogs are feminizing because of exposure to Atrazine • Male frogs suffer a reversal of gender • Other male frogs do not develop reproductive organisms at all

  6. Reproductive Gland Abnormalities • At low concentrations, Abnormalities are at their highest • At higher concentrations, abnormalities decrease • Should we be more concerned with severely contaminated water or mildly contaminated water?

  7. Atrazine contamination is highest from April to August, reaching its peak in June

  8. Alachlor • Banned in Canada while still allowed in the US • Linked to cancer • Leaches into groundwater instead of washing away in runoff • Contaminates aquifers extending far beyond where it is used

  9. Chlorination • Chlorine is added to eliminate contamination • Chlorine works on bacterial contamination, but not chemical contamination • Chlorine isn’t the problem, compounds formed from Chlorine and organic materials is • Causes cancer

  10. Conclusion • Atrazine and Alachlor may help crop production but are harmful to humans and other organisms • Need better methods to decontaminate our water

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