Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 10, 2026

Vegetated Treatment Systems for Removing Contaminants Associated with Surface Water Toxicity in Agriculture and Urban Runoff
Published on: May 15, 2017
Pollution of surface waters by metalaxyl and nitrate from non-point sources
Alipio Bermúdez-Couso1, David Fernández-Calviño, Manuel Ali Álvarez-Enjo
1Soil and Agricultural Science Group, Plant Biology and Soil Science Department, Science Faculty, University of Vigo, Ourense Campus, 32004 Ourense, Spain.
Abstract:
The mobility of contaminants in soil is highly dependent upon the characteristics of the contaminant chemical and the properties of the soil. In order to explore these relationships, the district of A Limia (Galicia, NW Spain) was selected as the study area--a cropland devoted to growing potatoes, where the soil had been managed intensively over the last 50 years. The soil was characterised by low slopes with the water table located very close to the soil surface. Our aim was to study the influence of high and intensive crop production on the water bodies and non-point source contamination, with a particular focus on metalaxyl and nitrate. The highest concentrations of metalaxyl occurred when rainfalls were low and in zones of the study area where natural hydrology was significantly altered by numerous drainage canals. The spatial and temporal distributions of the nitrate also showed a high variability, with the interaction between seasons and sampling area being the most significant factor in explaining the levels found.
Related Concept Videos
Acid Mine Drainage
Freshwater Microbial Ecology
Metabolism of Chemolithotrophs
Types of Toxins
Air pollutants, primarily gases, pose significant threats to respiratory health, leading to conditions like hypoxia, lung cancer, and in extreme cases, death.
Environmental pollutants like...
Microbial Bioremediation of Hydrocarbons
Primary Production

