Discovery of neonicotinoids in natural springs leads to education and filtering
Specific insecticides, called neonicotinoids, were found at high concentrations in some ground and surface water sources that could affect drinking water.
The research team included three from CEGE, Professor William Arnold, recently retired Paul Capel, former research assistant Grant Goedjen, plus John Barry from the DNR’s Division of Ecological and Water Resources.
The team found that the levels of neonicotinoids could affect drinking water supplies. Individuals relying on shallow groundwater or natural springs for drinking water have a higher risk of contamination from these insecticides compared to those getting their drinking water from deep groundwater wells.
With the increased use of insecticides for agriculture and insect control in the past few decades, research has shown that consistent application of them can lead to contamination in water. A large portion of Minnesota’s drinking water comes from groundwater. Looking at the levels of these specific insecticides can help water treatment plants determine what to monitor and filter.
As a follow-up to the study, researchers are collaborating with county and state agencies to include these chemicals on water treatment monitoring lists and want to continue to educate watershed districts about these insecticides. The researchers will also work with the University of Minnesota’s St. Anthony Falls Laboratory to improve stormwater treatment methods for urban environments, including the use of biofiltration to remove pollutants.
The work was funded by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENTRF) as recommended by the Legislative Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR). The ENRTF is a permanent fund in Minnesota that provides funding for the protection and conservation of Minnesota's natural resources.
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The research was recently published in Science of the Total Environment, a peer-reviewed scientific journal. You can read the entire research paper titled, “Occurrence and distribution of neonicotinoids and fiproles within groundwater in Minnesota: Effects of lithology, land use and geography,” on the Science Direct website.