1st Edition

Pesticide Risk in Groundwater

By Enzo Funari, Marco Vighi Copyright 1995

    Pesticide pollution of groundwater results from agricultural practices, the properties of the substance and its behavior in the soil environment, and the characteristics of aquifers and their vulnerability. Pesticide Risk in Groundwater provides an overview of the main issues concerning pesticide pollution of groundwater worldwide.
    The book is divided into five sections. Section I reviews experimental data of groundwater monitoring to indicate the extent of the problem on a global basis. Based on this evaluation, herbicides are examined in depth. Section II describes predictive approaches to estimate the distribution and fate of pesticides, and includes a chapter devoted to hydrogeological aspects affecting the vulnerability of aquifers. The third section evaluates pesticides in relation to their toxicology. It critically examines the criteria and procedures by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to define quality objectives, and compares the monitoring data on pesticides in groundwater with their quality objectives. Section IV evaluates various strategies to control and prevent groundwater pollution problems. Different water treatment options are described from a technical and economic point of view. The main preventative actions include the chemical approach, the agronomic approach, and the land use approach. The final section reviews the state of the art of drinking water regulations in the EEC, the United States, and other OECD countries. The author describes the economic implications of groundwater pollution and its control and exemplifies with a real case study.

    Introduction, M. Vighi and E. Funari
    Occurrence in Groundwater and Use of Pesticides
    Pesticide Levels in Groundwater: Value and Limitations of Monitoring, L. Donati, E Funari, D. Sandroni, and M. Vighi
    Agronomic Aspects of Herbicide Use, M. Sattin, A Berti, and G. Zanin
    Environmental Distribution and Fate and Exposure Prediction
    Predictive Approaches for the Evaluation of Pesticide Exposure, M. Vighi and A. Di Guardo
    Groundwater Vulnerability to Pesticides, G. Giuliano
    Pesticides and Human Health
    Human Health Implications Associated with the Presence of Pesticides in Drinking Water, E. Funari
    Possible Solutions
    Purification of Groundwaters Polluted by Pesticides, C. Nurizzo
    Development of Novel Active Ingredients, D.I. Gustafson
    Innovative Strategies in Weed Control, G. Zanin, M. Sattin, and A. Berti
    Agriculture and Land Use Planning, A. Toccolini and V. Angileri
    Legislation and Economy
    Regulations and Management, G. Premazzi and G. Ziglio
    An Economic Approach, T. Soderqvist, L. Bergman, and P.O. Johansson
    Conclusions, M. Vighi and E. Funari
    Index

    Biography

    Marco Vighi Enzo Funari

    "Editors Vighi and Funari, together with 18 other contributors, provide a clear and comprehensive overview of the current themes of pesticide pollution of groundwater...The treatment includes easy-to-read charts and tables on global statistics and other practical information on more than 100 substances."
    - CHOICE, February 1996, Volume 33, Number 6