Integrated management of pesticides in an intensive agricultural area: a case study in Altinova, Turkey

Pesticide contamination of groundwater is a common critical problem faced by many countries due to excessive and unconscious applications. As a result of increasing concerns about pesticides, several qualitative and quantitative risk assessment models/indicators were developed and applied. In this study, a practical approach was presented for the protection of groundwater from pesticide contamination. The first phase is the assessment of the specific vulnerability of groundwater to pesticide contamination using the DRASTIC-Pesticide model. The second phase is the monitoring and assessment of groundwater quality to verify vulnerability assessment. The third phase is to assess the impacts of pesticides on the environment and human health using a commonly applied pesticide risk indicator, the environmental impact quotient (EIQ). The pilot study area (PSA) is the Altinova region at Antalya city of Turkey which exhibits intensive agricultural activities and covers an approximate surface area of 75 km². A total of 25 groundwater wells were chosen for monitoring of groundwater quality where four sessions of seasonal field measurements were conducted for 1 year. Two sessions of water quality analyses were also performed for many physical, bacteriological, and chemical parameters, including pesticides. Additionally, soil samples were analyzed, site surveys were conducted, and other relevant information (topographical, geological and meteorological characteristics, pesticide use and toxicological data sets, etc.) was gathered. The PSA was determined to have high vulnerability to contamination of groundwater, and it was verified through monitoring results. The commonly used pesticides in the PSA were ranked according to their risks to select pesticides with the least environmental impacts.