Pesticide residue in water—a challenging task in India

• Published in: Environmental monitoring and assessment Vol. 187; no. 2; pp. 54 - 21
• Main Authors: Agarwal, Akriti, Prajapati, Rajmani, Singh, Om Pal, Raza, S. K., Thakur, L. K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01-02-2015; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agricultural practices; Agriculture; Agriculture - statistics & numerical data; Aldrin; Aldrin - analysis; Aquatic ecosystems; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Consumption; Contamination; Crop production; DDT; Dieldrin; Dieldrin - analysis; Drinking water; Earth; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecology; Ecotoxicology; Endosulfan; Endosulfan - analysis; Endrin; Environment; Environmental Management; Environmental Monitoring; Food contamination; Fungicides; Groundwater; Health risks; Herbicides; Hexachlorocyclohexane; Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated - analysis; India; Insecticides; Isomers; Malathion; Malathion - analysis; Methyl parathion; Monitoring/Environmental Analysis; Organic compounds; Organochlorine pesticides; Parathion; Pesticide residues; Pesticide Residues - analysis; Pesticides; Pesticides - analysis; Pollution control; Population growth; Rain; Rivers; Rivers - chemistry; Surface water; Toxicology; Water analysis; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water pollution; Water Pollution, Chemical - analysis; Water Pollution, Chemical - prevention & control; Water Pollution, Chemical - statistics & numerical data; Water resources; Water sampling; Water supply; Water Supply - statistics & numerical data; India; India, Delhi, Yamuna R; India, Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow; India, Uttar Pradesh, Unnao Dist., Kanpur; India, Bihar; Asia, Ganga R; India, Bihar, Bhagalpur; India, Uttar Pradesh, Allahabad; India, Delhi; India, Uttar Pradesh; Water; Organophosphorus; Synthetic pyrethroids; Organochlorine; Pesticide residue
• ISSN: 0167-6369; 1573-2959
• DOI: 10.1007/s10661-015-4287-y

Modern agriculture practices reveal an increase in use of pesticides to meet the food demand of increasing population which results in contamination of the environment. In India, crop production increased to 100 %, but the cropping area has increased marginally by 20 %. Pesticides have played a major role in achieving the maximum crop production but maximum usage and accumulation of pesticide residues is highly detrimental to aquatic and other ecosystem. Pesticide residues in drinking water have become a major challenge over the last few years. It has been monitored in public water supply resources in National capital territory, i.e., Delhi. Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), mainly isomers of hexachlorohexane (HCH), dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT), endosulphan, endrin, aldrin, dieldrin, and heptachlore, were identified from potable water samples. Results suggested that continuous consumption of contaminated water can pose severe health threats to local residents of this area. Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi, had found α and β isomers of endosulphan residues in the Yamuna river. High concentrations of γ-HCH (0.259 μg/l) and malathion (2.618 μg/l) were detected in the surface water samples collected from the river Ganga in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh (UP). High concentration of methyl parathion, endosulfan, and DDT were observed in water samples collected from the river at Bhagalpur, Bihar. The Industrial Toxicology Research Centre (ITRC), Lucknow (UP) study also found 0.5671 ppb concentrations of endosulfan in the river at Allahabad, UP. Similar results were found in other water samples in India.