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Ermelinda M. De-Lamonica-Freire

Bio: Ermelinda M. De-Lamonica-Freire is an academic researcher. The author has contributed to research in topics: Water resources & Pesticide. The author has an hindex of 4, co-authored 4 publications receiving 243 citations.

Papers
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A preliminary analysis of the possible contamination of superficial and underground water by the active ingredients of the pesticide products used in the surroundings of the urban area of Primavera do Leste, Mato Grosso, Brazil, was carried out as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: A preliminary analyses of the possible contamination of superficial and underground water by the active ingredients of the pesticide products used in the surroundings of the urban area of Primavera do Leste, Mato Grosso, Brazil, was carried out. A description of the study region and of its environmental characteristics, which can favor the contamination of the local aquatic environment, was presented. The EPA screening criteria, the groundwater ubiquity score (GUS) and the criteria proposed by Goss were used to evaluate which pesticides might contaminate the local waters. Among the active ingredients studied, several present risks to the local aquatic environment.

110 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is deducted that the contamination of water resources is predominantly caused by non-point pollution of pesticides used in intensive cash-crop cultures of the Cerrado area, and a continuous monitoring of pesticide concentrations in water resources of this tropical region is necessary to detect the longer term contamination trends and developing health risks.
Abstract: Residues of the herbicides simazine, metribuzin, metolachlor, trifluralin, atrazine, and two metabolites of atrazine, deisopropylatrazine (DIA) and deethylatrazine (DEA), are surveyed in the surface and groundwater of the Primavera do Leste region, Mato Grosso, Brazil during September and December 1998 and April 1999. Different water source sampling stations of groundwater (irrigation water well, drinking water well, and water hole) and surface water (dam and river) are set up based on agricultural land use. A solid-phase extraction procedure followed by gas chromatography‐nitrogen-phosphorus detection is used for the determination of these compounds. All compounds are detected at least once in water samples. A temporal trend of pesticide contamination is observed, with the highest contamination frequency occurring in December during the main application season. Metribuzin shows the highest individual detection frequencies throughout the monitoring period, followed by metolachlor, simazine, and DEA. The maximum mean concentrations of pesticides in this study are in the range from 0.14 to 1.7 µg/L. We deduct that the contamination of water resources is predominantly caused by non-point pollution of pesticides used in intensive cash-crop cultures of the Cerrado area. Therefore, a continuous monitoring of pesticide concentrations in water resources of this tropical region is necessary to detect the longer term contamination trends and developing health risks.

66 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A study on the presence of herbicides, namely simazine, metribuzin, metolachlor, trifluralin, atrazine and two metabolites, deisopropylatrazine (DIA) and DEA, was performed in ground and surface waters from Primavera do Leste region, Mato Grosso state (Middle West of Brazil).
Abstract: A study on the presence of herbicides, namely simazine, metribuzin, metolachlor, trifluralin, atrazine and two metabolites, deisopropylatrazine (DIA) and deethylatrazine (DEA), was performed in ground and surface waters from Primavera do Leste region, Mato Grosso state (Middle West of Brazil). The analytical procedure was based on solid-phase extraction (SPE) with Sep-Pak C18 disposable cartridges and ethyl acetate for elution solvent. Residue levels were determined by gas chromatography with nitrogen-phosphorus detection. For most of the pesticides average recoveries at different fortification levels were >70% with relative standard deviation <19%. The recoveries of DIA and trifluralin in water were 25% and 56%, respectively, which were attributed to the incomplete retention of DIA and strong retention on the sorbing material and high volatility of trifluralin. Detection limits ranged from 0.023 to 0.088 µg L-1. This method was applied for the analysis of 5 superficial water samples and 28 groundwater samples, in places used for human consumption without previous treatment, collected in Primavera do Leste, Mato Grosso, Brazil. Results indicated that the highest level of contamination in a water sample was 1.732 µg L-1 for metolachlor, while metribuzin was the most frequently detected herbicide with maximum concentration of 0.351 µg L-1.

52 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Acetamiprid and thiamethoxam showed low sorption coefficients, representing a high risk of surface and ground water contamination, and the partition coefficient normalized to soil organic carbon (K oc) was calculated.
Abstract: Sorption of acetamiprid ((E)-N1-[(6-chloro-3-pyridyl)methyl]-N2-cyano-N1-methylacetamidine), carbendazim (methyl benzimidazol-2-ylcarbamate), diuron (N-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-N, N-dimethyl urea) and thiamethoxam (3-(2-chloro-thiazol-5-ylmethyl)-5-methyl-[1,3,5]oxadiazinan-4-ylidene-N-nitroamine) was evaluated in two Brazilian tropical soils, Oxisol and Entisol, from Primavera do Leste region, Mato Grosso State, Brazil. To describe the sorption process, batch experiments were carried out. Linear and Freundlich isotherm models were used to calculate the K(d) and K(f) coefficients from experimental data. The K(d) values were utilized to calculate the partition coefficient normalized to soil organic carbon (K(oc)). For the pesticides acetamiprid, carbendazim, diuron and thiamenthoxan the K(oc) (mL g(- 1)) values ranged in both soils from 98 - 3235, 1024 - 2644, 145 - 2631 and 104 - 2877, respectively. From the studied pesticides, only carbendazim presented correlation (r(2) = 0.82 and p < 0.01) with soil organic carbon (OC) content. Acetamiprid and thiamethoxam showed low sorption coefficients, representing a high risk of surface and ground water contamination.

43 citations


Cited by
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: There is potential for aquatic invertebrates to be negatively impacted by neonicotinoids, and it is necessary to address knowledge gaps to inform decisions around guidelines and registration status for neonicsotinoid insecticides in Canada to protect the authors' aquatic ecosystems.

293 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Data gathered indicated that caffeine, paracetamol, atenolol, ibuprofen, cephalexin and bisphenol A occur in the μg L-1 range in streams near urban areas, and endocrine disruptors are frequently detected in surface waters, highest concentrations account for 17α-ethynylestradiol and 17β-estradio.

147 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a comprehensive literature review on the occurrence of pesticide residues in Brazilian freshwaters was provided, and risk quotients were calculated to assess the potential risk posed to aquatic life by the individual pesticides based on their levels of water contamination.
Abstract: The widespread use of pesticides in agriculture can lead to water contamination and cause adverse effects on non-target organisms. Brazil has been the world's top pesticide market consumer since 2008, with 381 approved pesticides for crop use. This study provides a comprehensive literature review on the occurrence of pesticide residues in Brazilian freshwaters. We searched for information in official agency records and peer-reviewed scientific literature. Risk quotients were calculated to assess the potential risk posed to aquatic life by the individual pesticides based on their levels of water contamination. Studies about the occurrence of pesticides in freshwaters in Brazil are scarce and concentrated in few sampling sites in 5 of the 27 states. Herbicides (21) accounted for the majority of the substances investigated, followed by fungicides (11), insecticides (10) and plant growth regulators (1). Insecticides are the class of major concern. Brazil would benefit from the implementation of a nationwide pesticide freshwater monitoring program to support preventive, remediation and enforcement actions.

140 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The total degradation or biodegradation of neonicotinoids was the fastest in the soil with the highest organic carbon content, and the neonicotonoids' bioavailability was not the primary influencing factor due to their weak sorption.

130 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors compared soil and water quality parameters from different land uses considering 80 soil and 18 water studies conducted in different regions across the Cerrado to provide quantitative evidence of soil changes from land use change.
Abstract: The Brazilian Cerrado is recognized as one of the most threatened biomes in the world, as the region has experienced a striking change from natural Cerrado vegetation to intense cash crop production. This paper reviews the history of land conversion in the Cerrado and the development of soil properties and water resources under past and ongoing land use. We compared soil and water quality parameters from different land uses considering 80 soil and 18 water studies conducted in different regions across the Cerrado to provide quantitative evidence of soil and water alterations from land use change. Following the conversion of native Cerrado, significant effects on soil pH, bulk density and available P and K for croplands and less-pronounced effects on pastures were evident. Soil total N did not differ between land uses because most of the sites classified as croplands were nitrogen-fixing soybeans, which are not artificially fertilized with N. In contrast, water quality studies showed nitrogen enrichment in agricultural catchments, indicating fertilizer impacts and potential susceptibility to eutrophication. Regardless of the land use, P is widely absent because of the high-fixing capacities of deeply weathered soils and the filtering capacity of riparian vegetation. Pesticides, however, were consistently detected throughout the entire aquatic system. In several case studies, extremely high-peak concentrations exceeded Brazilian and European Union (EU) water quality limits, which were potentially accompanied by serious health implications. Land use intensification is likely to continue, particularly in regions where less annual rainfall and severe droughts are projected in the northeastern and western Cerrado. Thus, the leaching risk and displacement of agrochemicals are expected to increase, particularly because the current legislation has caused a reduction in riparian vegetation. We conclude that land use intensification is likely to seriously limit the Cerrado's future regarding both agricultural productivity and ecosystem stability. Because only limited data are available, we recommend further field studies to understand the interaction between terrestrial and aquatic systems. This study may serve as a valuable database for integrated modelling to investigate the impact of land use and climate change on soil and water resources and to test and develop mitigation measures for the Cerrado. Copyright (C) 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

129 citations