Risk‐based prioritization method for the classification of groundwater pesticide pollution from agricultural regions. (24th June 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Yang, Yu; Lian, Xin‐Ying; Jiang, Yong‐Hai; Xi, Bei‐Dou; He, Xiao‐Song
• Is Part Of: Integrated environmental assessment and management. Volume 13:Number 6(2017)
• Page Start: 1052
• Page End: 1059
• Publication Date: 2017-06-24
• Subjects: Agricultural region -- Pesticide pollution -- Groundwater -- Index system -- Risk ranking; Environmental management -- Periodicals; Pollution -- Periodicals; Environmental toxicology -- Periodicals; Environmental risk assessment -- Periodicals; Environmental impact analysis -- Periodicals; 628
• DOI: 10.1002/ieam.1950
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1551-3777

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Agricultural regions are a significant source of groundwater pesticide pollution. To ensure that agricultural regions with a significantly high risk of groundwater pesticide contamination are properly managed, a risk‐based ranking method related to groundwater pesticide contamination is needed. In the present paper, a risk‐based prioritization method for the classification of groundwater pesticide pollution from agricultural regions was established. The method encompasses 3 phases, including indicator selection, characterization, and classification. In the risk ranking index system employed here, 17 indicators involving the physicochemical properties, environmental behavior characteristics, pesticide application methods, and inherent vulnerability of groundwater in the agricultural region were selected. The boundary of each indicator was determined using K ‐means cluster analysis based on a survey of a typical agricultural region and the physical and chemical properties of 300 typical pesticides. The total risk characterization was calculated by multiplying the risk value of each indicator, which could effectively avoid the subjectivity of index weight calculation and identify the main factors associated with the risk. The results indicated that the risk for groundwater pesticide contamination from agriculture in a region could be ranked into 4 classes from low to high risk. This method was applied to an agricultural region in Jiangsu Province, China, and it showed that this region had a relatively high risk for groundwater contamination from pesticides, and that the pesticide application method was the primary factor contributing to the relatively high risk. The risk ranking method was determined to be feasible, valid, and able to provide reference data related to the risk management of groundwater pesticide pollution from agricultural regions. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2017;13:1052–1059. © 2017 SETAC Key Points: A risk‐based method for the classification of groundwater pesticide pollution from agricultural regions was established. The total risk was calculated by multiplying the risk value of each indicator. The risk ranking method could identify the main factors causing the risk.