Occurence of pesticides in drinking water sources in The Netherlands and Flanders

The production, use and application of pesticides continuously changes, and therefore the most relevant compounds may be different nowadays from those ten years ago. The occurrence of pesticides in drinking water sources in The Netherlands was assessed using routine monitoring data from groundwater abstraction areas and surface water intake points. In 67% of the 221 abstraction areas covering groundwater and surface water bodies, (traces of) pesticides or their metabolites have been detected. 65 pesticides and 6 metabolites were prioritized based on the extensive dataset. An analytical method (LC-MS/MS) for simultaneous detection and quantification of 24 recently authorized pesticides was developed and validated. 15 of these new pesticides were detected at locations susceptible for pesticide contamination in The Netherlands and Flanders, mainly in surface waters.

(Sjerps, R.M.A., Stuyfzand, P.J., Kooij, P.J.F., Loma-Gonzalez, B. de la, Kolkman, A., Puijker, L.M. – BTO 2017.071 Occurence of pesticides in drinking water sources in The Netherlands and Flanders (2019))