Ecological risk assessment of current-use pesticides in an aquatic system of Shanghai, China

The widespread use of current-use pesticides (CUPs) in modern agriculture has threatened the survival of aquatic organisms. Therefore, the residual levels, spatial distribution, and ecological risk assessment of 18 CUPs are investigated in an aquatic system of Shanghai. The aquatic system focused on a freshwater system that contains particles smaller than 0.45 μm in size, which are easily absorbed by aquatic organisms. The mean values of chlorpyrifos, napropamide, and atrazine were found to be the highest concentration CUPs, and propazine, mevinphos, ametryn, butylate, dichlorvos, ethoprop, and prometryn displayed the most significant positive correlations with each other. The concentration of the ∑₁₈CUPs was higher in the southern areas of Shanghai (generally greater than 100 ng/L), but it was relatively low in the central areas (generally smaller than 75 ng/L). Six important CUPs were identified, and the differences in the concentration contribution rates and contribution amounts among different intensive land-use types were noticeable. The ecological risk in most areas of this aquatic system of Shanghai was high. Chlorpyrifos and butachlor produced the maximum toxic unit (mTU) for daphnid and green algae, respectively, and their toxic unit contribution rates to the entire mixture toxicity were both greater than 50%. This confirms that the mixture toxicity of the CUPs to aquatic organisms in this aquatic system of Shanghai primarily resulted from a few dominant toxic pesticides. However, for each sensitive organism, there will still be a risk contribution of approximately 5%–30% due to other CUPs. 

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