Contamination of neonicotinoid insecticides in soil-water-sediment systems of the urban and rural areas in a rapidly developing region: Guangzhou, South China

Chao Zhang; Xiaohui Yi; Chen Chen; Di Tian; Hongbin Liu; Lingtian Xie; Xiuping Zhu; Mingzhi Huang; Guang-Guo Ying

Environment International (Jun 2020)

Contamination of neonicotinoid insecticides in soil-water-sediment systems of the urban and rural areas in a rapidly developing region: Guangzhou, South China

Chao Zhang,
Xiaohui Yi,
Chen Chen,
Di Tian,
Hongbin Liu,
Lingtian Xie,
Xiuping Zhu,
Mingzhi Huang,
Guang-Guo Ying

Affiliations

Chao Zhang: SCNU Environmental Research Institute, School of Environment, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, PR China; School of Civil Engineering & Transportation, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, PR China
Xiaohui Yi: SCNU Environmental Research Institute, School of Environment, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, PR China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, PR China
Chen Chen: Guangdong Key Laboratory of Water and Air Pollution Control, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510655, PR China
Di Tian: SCNU Environmental Research Institute, School of Environment, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, PR China
Hongbin Liu: Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Resources, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, PR China
Lingtian Xie: SCNU Environmental Research Institute, School of Environment, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, PR China
Xiuping Zhu: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge 70803, USA
Mingzhi Huang: SCNU Environmental Research Institute, School of Environment, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, PR China; Corresponding authors.
Guang-Guo Ying: SCNU Environmental Research Institute, School of Environment, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, PR China; Corresponding authors.

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 139

Abstract

Read online

Residues and distribution of neonicotinoid insecticides (NEOs) in soil-water-sediment systems of the urban and rural areas of Guangzhou, South China were investigated. A total of 104 soil samples from 7 different functional zones and 29 water/sediment samples from creeks were collected. The results showed that at least one neonicotinoid insecticide was detected in all samples. The summed levels of five target neonicotinoids (∑5neonics) were in the range of 0.003–229 ng/g dw for soil samples, 7.94–636 ng/L for water samples, and 0.017–31.3 ng/g dw for sediment samples, with a geometric mean of 0.59 ng/g dw, 153 ng/L and 1.11 ng/g dw, respectively. Soils from agricultural areas contained the highest residual NEOs, followed by commercial, traffic, residential, industrial, educational zones and parks. Among the seven different functional zones studied, imidacloprid was the most dominant NEO in the agricultural areas and commercial zones, whereas acetamiprid was dominant in the other five functional zones with different land-use types. Thiamethoxam and acetamiprid were the main NEOs in water and sediment samples collected from 29 creeks. The pollution of NEOs in soils, water and sediments from rural areas was higher than that in the counterparts from urban areas. Residual concentration of NEOs detected in soils, water and sediments showed significant correlations with each other. The distribution of NEOs in soil-water-sediment systems indicated that NEOs tended to concentrate in water, followed by sediments and soils, especially in urban areas. An evaluation of the exposure to the current level of the ∑5NEOs in Guangzhou suggests a significant risk for aquatic and soil organisms, particularly under chronic exposures. The results of the present study offer valuable data to better understand the contamination and ecological risks of neonicotinoid insecticides in the rapidly developing urbanized region of South China.

Published in Environment International

ISSN: 0160-4120 (Print)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Geography. Anthropology. Recreation: Environmental sciences
Website: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/environment-international

About the journal

Abstract

Keywords