Protecting Ground Water via Protecting Ground Water via Pesticide Registration in New YorkPesticide Registration in New York

Presentation to the Watershed Science and Presentation to the Watershed Science and Technical ConferenceTechnical Conference

Sep. 16, 2010Sep. 16, 2010

Steven Pacenka, Brian Richards,Steven Pacenka, Brian Richards,

and Tammo Steenhuisand Tammo Steenhuis

Soil & Water GroupSoil & Water GroupDepartment of Biological and Environmental Department of Biological and Environmental

EngineeringEngineering

Partnership with NYS DEC Bureau of Partnership with NYS DEC Bureau of Pesticides ManagementPesticides Management

Luanne Whitbeck, Project ManagerLuanne Whitbeck, Project Manager

Maureen Serafini, Bureau HeadMaureen Serafini, Bureau Head

Cornell leadership personnel:Cornell leadership personnel:

Tammo Steenhuis (PI), Todd Walter (co-PI)Tammo Steenhuis (PI), Todd Walter (co-PI)

Water Resources Institute – Susan RihaWater Resources Institute – Susan Riha

Outline of PresentationOutline of Presentation

Pesticides in groundwater backgroundPesticides in groundwater background

Pesticide registration backgroundPesticide registration background

Upstate monitoring approachUpstate monitoring approach

Progress 2002-2009Progress 2002-2009

IntepretationsIntepretations

Ongoing work and next stepsOngoing work and next steps

Pesticides in US Ground WaterPesticides in US Ground Water

Source: USGS NAWQA pesticide national synthesis project.

Stream water

Shallow ground water

Stream water

Shallow ground water

Stream water

Shallow ground water

Stream water

Major aquifers

0 25 50 75 100

% of time (streams) or samples (ground water) with one or more detections

Agricultural

Urban

Undeveloped

Mixed

Pesticide Use in NYPesticide Use in NY

Derived from New York Pesticide Sales and Use Reporting system published data.

Product registration and ground waterProduct registration and ground water

Federal FIFRA and State lawFederal FIFRA and State law

Manufacturers test products in Manufacturers test products in environmentenvironment

"Labels" restrict how much, when, "Labels" restrict how much, when, where appliedwhere applied

Applicator training for restricted use, Applicator training for restricted use, includes ground water in curriculumincludes ground water in curriculum

New York's pesticide reporting lawNew York's pesticide reporting law

Users and sellers report Users and sellers report where/when/how much to Statewhere/when/how much to State

Water quality monitoring by USGS Water quality monitoring by USGS and Cornelland Cornell

Annual reportsAnnual reports

Downloadable county and zip-code Downloadable county and zip-code censored data (Cornell PMEP)censored data (Cornell PMEP)

3 30 300 3000 300001

10

100

1,000

CarbofuranAtrazine

Metolachlor

Aldicarb

Alachlor

Glyphosate isopropylamine salt

Maneb

Diazinon

Imezathapyr Pendimethalin

ChlorpyrifosChlorthalonil

Ground Water Ubiquity Score

GUS=lowGUS=mediumGUS=highGUS=very highSpecific AI

Koc (cc/g) (higher = less mobile)

Hal

f lif

e (

day

s) (

hig

her=

mo

re p

ers

iste

nt)

Not all pesticides are an equal threat to ground water: GUS

GUS ScaleGUS Scale

0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0 5.5 6.0 6.5 7.0 7.5

Low HighVery Low Medium Very High

* Imazethapyr * Carbofuran * Atrazine * Alachlor * Chlorothalonil* Glyphosate

Pesticide use weighted by GUS

Cornell Monitoring ProcessCornell Monitoring Process

Discuss withSWCD and

others in county

Identify countiesof interest

Sample;analyze at

DEC & CornellBEE labs

Interpret

Recruitland owners

County Partners through 2009County Partners through 2009

Schenectady

Orange

Cayuga

Cortland

Genesee

Testing for ...Testing for ...

93 pesticide & herbicide active ingredients 93 pesticide & herbicide active ingredients @ DEC Pesticide Lab.@ DEC Pesticide Lab.

Selected active ingredients using higher Selected active ingredients using higher resolution immunoassay methods @ resolution immunoassay methods @ Cornell Soil & Water Group lab.Cornell Soil & Water Group lab.

Nitrate @ Cornell Soil & Water Group lab.Nitrate @ Cornell Soil & Water Group lab.

And finding ...And finding ...

DEC broad-based scans: DEC broad-based scans: oneone detection of detection of one active ingredient in first 200 samplesone active ingredient in first 200 samples

Reporting limits were 1 ug/L (1 ppb) or lessReporting limits were 1 ug/L (1 ppb) or less

No exceedence No exceedence of any of 15 NYS ground of any of 15 NYS ground water standards or guidance levelswater standards or guidance levels

Nitrates typical for rural NYNitrates typical for rural NY

Interpretation Upstate rural wells in good shape relative

to pesticide standards. Even vulnerable wells surrounded by fields, and having elevated nitrate, are in decent shape.

There are frequent traces of atrazine, and some of metolachlor, as found nationally.

Pesticide registration is a balancing act: economic utility vs. health and environmental risk.

For upstate NY, this balance to date has not been bad for shallow ground water wells.

Next: keep looking, harder

More areas, and revisit selected wells

DEC reporting limits improving to 0.1 ppb

Adding selected degradation products

(metabolites) to the analytical list

Limestone areas

Vulnerability: CarbonateVulnerability: Carbonate

ContactsContacts

Brian Richards (bkr2@cornell.edu)Brian Richards (bkr2@cornell.edu)

Steve Pacenka (sp17@cornell.edu)Steve Pacenka (sp17@cornell.edu)

Tammo Steenhuis (tss1@cornell.edu)Tammo Steenhuis (tss1@cornell.edu)

http://soilandwater.bee.cornell.edu/http://soilandwater.bee.cornell.edu/Research/pesticides/Research/pesticides/

http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu/psur/http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu/psur/

ThanksThanksFundingFunding NYS DEC NYS DEC

NYS WRI NYS WRI directors Keith Porter and Susan Riha, who directors Keith Porter and Susan Riha, who delegated to BEEdelegated to BEE

Local PartnersLocal Partners Cortland, Schenectady, Orange, Cayuga, Cortland, Schenectady, Orange, Cayuga, and Genesee County Soil & Water Conservation Districtsand Genesee County Soil & Water Conservation Districts

Cornell Pesticide Management Education Program for help Cornell Pesticide Management Education Program for help using the PSUR databaseusing the PSUR database

NYS Soil & Water Conservation Committee for early NYS Soil & Water Conservation Committee for early endorsementendorsement

Cornell students Cornell students Ian Toevs, Tony Salvucci, Ben Liu, Sophia Ian Toevs, Tony Salvucci, Ben Liu, Sophia Garcia, Mike Sinkevich, Ivy Tsoi, Zia Ahmed, Sheila Saia, Garcia, Mike Sinkevich, Ivy Tsoi, Zia Ahmed, Sheila Saia, Austin MerbothAustin Merboth

Averaged GUS of reported pesticides Averaged GUS of reported pesticides

Redder = more likely to persist and move

Cornell laboratory analysesCornell laboratory analyses

Cortland Schenec Orange Cayuga GeneseeNitrate-N >10 mg/L 3 0 0 0 4

6-10 8 0 1 3 31-5 18 7 13 13 12<1 11 33 26 18 22interference 0 0 0 6 0

Metolachlor detect 0 0 1trace <0.1 ug/L 5 6 0n.d. <0.1 35 34 40

Atrazine detect 0.1 - 0.3 0 3 2 0trace <0.1 20 1 5 2n.d. <0.1 20 36 33 39

Alachlor detect 0.1 - 0.3 1trace <0.1 1n.d. <0.1 38

Diazinon detect 0.03 - 0.06 1trace < 0.03 0n.d. < 0.03 39

Imidacloprid detect 0trace <0.2 1n.d. <0.2 39