Evaluation of the concentrations of current use pesticides (CUPs) in urban air and rainfall, and their wet deposition flux in a metropolitan environment

Abstract

This study assesses the wet deposition fluxes and washout ratios of current-use pesticides (CUPs) in Bursa, Turkey, to better understand their environmental impact. It investigates the temporal and spatial fluctuations of these compounds, particularly focusing on CUPs like benomyl, dichlorvos, dimethoate, imidacloprid, monochrotophos, and pymetrozine. The concentrations of CUPs in both ambient air and precipitation showed seasonal variations, with peaks in spring and summer due to increased agricultural activities. Precipitation concentrations of CUPs also varied, when the detection rates based on CUP congeners are analyzed, benomyl (70 %) and pymetrozine (66 %) are the most frequently detected congeners in the collected samples, particularly during the peak agricultural season. Wet deposition fluxes were highest in spring and summer, while dry deposition fluxes peaked in autumn and winter. Benomyl, dichlorvos, dimethoate, and imidacloprid were determined the most abundant CUP congeners in both phase (gas and particle phase). The dry deposition velocities ranged from 0.001 to 2.26 cm/s, and washout ratios varied between 1.35 × 10⁻⁴ and 1.18 × 10⁻⁶, depending on the CUP congeners. These findings underscore the need for ongoing monitoring, enhanced measurement techniques, and interdisciplinary collaboration to better understand CUP distribution and its environmental and health impacts, while developing effective management strategies.