Analysis of various Iowa waters for selected pesticides: atrazine, DDE, and dieldrin-1974

Atrazine, DDE, and dieldrin were extracted and concentrated from various surface, subsurface, and finished waters using the macroreticular resin method. Organic components in the concentrates from these waters were separated by gas chromatography; the amounts of the three pesticides in the waters ranged from 0.5 to 42,000 parts per trillion by weight. Every major watershed in the State of Iowa revealed some degree of pesticide contamination and seasonal variations were consistent with agricultural runoff models. Atrazine concentrations were highest of the three pesticides, a symptom of its widespread use in the corn belt. DDE also appeared in substantial quantities, providing further evidence of the persistence of DDT and its metabolites. Water from several shallow wells and finished water from many water treatment plants were also contaminated. Current treatment processes do not effectively remove these pesticides.