Pesticides distribution in sediments of a tropical coastal lagoon adjacent to an irrigation district in northwest Mexico.

ABSTRACT

This work presents the content of organochlorine (OCs) pesticides in sediments of both, agricultural drains from the Irrigation District 076, El Carrizo, Sinaloa, and of the adjacent coastal lagoon ecosystem of Agiabampo-Bacorehuis-Jitzamuri, located in northwest Mexico. A questionnaire was applied to the farmers of this irrigation district, to evaluate the usage of pesticides and to determine if banned OCs are still used. Around 31 tons of active ingredients were applied in the autumn-winter cycle (1997-1998). There were eighteen different pesticides; of them 61% are insecticides, 28% herbicides, 6% fungicides and 6% other compounds. Around 73% of the pesticides applied are organophosphorus, carbamates and sulfur, OCs are still applied and represent 4% of the total. All the pesticides applied in the irrigation district are authorized in the Official Pesticide Catalog, nevertheless forbidden and restricted compounds were detected in the sediment samples. The presence of heptachlor, heptachlor epoxide, alpha-endosulfan, beta-endosulfan, endosulfan sulfate, alpha-HCH, beta-HCH, lindane, delta-HCH, aldrin, dieldrin p,p'-DDT, p,p'-DDE and p,p'-DDD was recorded in the sediment sample. The analysis of the sediments suggest that the principal pesticides input to the coastal ecosystem is mainly through three of the seven agricultural drains, that collect the excess irrigation water and runoff from the district surface. A gradient of pesticide residues in sediments exists from the agricultural drains (52 ng OCs g(-1) dry weight) to the Jitzamuri bay (32 ng OCs g(-1) dry weight).