Use and fate of 17 pesticides applied on a vineyard catchment

Non point source (NPS) pollution may degrade water quality and is of concern to water quality managers and environmental risk regulators whose responsibility it is to monitor the status of water bodies. There are many methods of evaluating the impact on a water body from NPS pollution, but one of the most important, effective, and unfortunately expensive methods is to monitor the quality of water flowing from a particular catchment. The flux of 17 pesticides from a small (42.7 ha) agricultural (vineyard) catchment in the Alsatian piemont (France) was systematically monitored over 4 years (2003–2006) from June to September. A metrological station is located within the catchment area and run-off of 58 run-off events was monitored throughout. A water sample for pesticide analyses was collected every 8 m3 of run-off. Detailed information regarding pesticide application was obtained from voluntary surveys submitted annually to active farmers of the studied catchment. There was considerable climatic variation a...