In residential areas, insecticides may be directly applied on concrete or they may be indirectly transferred from surrounding areas by wind or water. Surface runoff as facilitated by urban hardscapes is perceived as a significant source of pesticide contamination in urban watersheds. However, little is known about how such offsite transport takes place. We evaluated the role of loose particles as the carrier for pesticide residues in surface runoff. We observed a close correlation between the amount of pesticides in particles (recovered on a sponge wipe) and that in runoff for permethrin, bifenthrin, and fipronil. Using a simple vacuum method to collect dislodgeable particles, we further found many insecticides, often at high levels, on the concrete surface of driveway, walkway, and street around single family houses in Riverside. These results suggest that loose particles are the main form by which pesticides are moved in urban surface runoff.

Insecticides on concrete: Role of particles in offsite transport

244th National Meeting (2012)

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