First national-scale reconnaissance of neonicotinoid insecticides in streams across the USA

Environmental Chemistry
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Abstract

 To better understand the fate and transport of neonicotinoid insecticides, water samples were collected from streams across the United States. In a nationwide study, at least one neonicotinoid was detected in 53 % of the samples collected, with imidacloprid detected most frequently (37 %), followed by clothianidin (24 %), thiamethoxam (21 %), dinotefuran (13 %), acetamiprid (3 %) and thiacloprid (0 %). Clothianidin and thiamethoxam concentrations were positively related to the percentage of the land use in cultivated crop production and imidacloprid concentrations were positively related to the percentage of urban area within the basin. Additional sampling was also conducted in targeted research areas to complement these national-scale results, including determining: (1) neonicotinoid concentrations during elevated flow conditions in an intensely agricultural region; (2) temporal patterns of neonicotinoids in heavily urbanised basins; (3) neonicotinoid concentrations in agricultural basins in a nationally important ecosystem; and (4) in-stream transport of neonicotinoids near a wastewater treatment plant. Across all study areas, at least one neonicotinoid was detected in 63 % of the 48 streams sampled.

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Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title First national-scale reconnaissance of neonicotinoid insecticides in streams across the USA
Series title Environmental Chemistry
DOI 10.1071/EN15061
Volume 13
Issue 1
Year Published 2015
Language English
Publisher CSIRO Publishing
Contributing office(s) California Water Science Center, Toxic Substances Hydrology Program
Description 9 p.
First page 12
Last page 20
Country United States
Online Only (Y/N) N
Additional Online Files (Y/N) N
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