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Updated: Aug 24, 2026

Vegetated Treatment Systems for Removing Contaminants Associated with Surface Water Toxicity in Agriculture and Urban Runoff
Published on: May 15, 2017
Pesticides in rainfall and air in Italy
M Trevisan1, C Montepiani, L Ragozza
1Istituto di Chimica Agraria ed Ambientale, Facoltà di Agraria, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense 84, 29100 Piacenza, Italy.
Abstract:
The presence of pesticide residues in rain, throughfall, stemflow and in ambient air in two Italian forests affected by the forest damage phenomenon were investigated. Pesticides measured were: alachlor, atrazine, carbaryl, 2,4-D, diazinon, dichlobenil, fluazifop-butyl, MCPA, parathion, phorate and trifluralin. Rainwater samples were collected from May to October 1988 at Vallombrosa and Renon, air and atmospheric particulates were sampled during April-June 1989, only at Vallombrosa. A total of 146 samples of rainfall and 20 samples of ambient air were analysed and 49 out of 166 samples contained at least one active ingredient. Herbicides were more frequent than insecticides, and their concentrations were also higher (max 3.44 microg litre(-1)).

