Pesticide residues in organic and conventional agricultural soils across Europe : measured and predicted concentrations

Knuth, Dennis (author), Gai, Lingtong (author), Silva, Vera (author), Harkes, Paula (author), Hofman, Jakub (author), Glavan, Matjaž (author), Scheepers, Paul T. J. (author), Ritsema, Coen J. (author), Geissen, Violette (author)

During the growing season of 2021, 201 soil samples from conventionally and organically managed fields from 10 European countries and 8 cropping systems were taken, and 192 residues of synthetic pesticides were analyzed. Pesticide residues were found in 97% of the samples, and 88% of the samples contained mixtures of at least 2 substances. A maximum of 21 substances were found in conventionally managed fields, and a maximum of 12 were found in organically managed fields. The number and concentration of pesticide residues varied significantly between conventional and organic fields in 70 and 50% of the casestudy sites, respectively. Application records were available for aselected number of fields (n = 82), and these records were compared to the detected substances. Residues from 52% of theapplied pesticides were detected in the soils. Only 21% of the pesticide residues detected in the soil samples were applied during the 2021 growing season. From the application data, predicted environmental concentrations of residues in soil were calculated andcompared to the measured concentrations. These estimates turned out not to be accurate. The results of this study show that most European agricultural soils contain mixtures of pesticide residues and that current calculation methods may not reliably estimate their presence.

• Language: English
• Keywords: soils, pesticides, PECs/MECs, farming systems
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: BF - Biotechnical Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2024
• Number of pages: Str. 6457-6842
• Numbering: Vol. 58, iss. 15
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-159010
• UDC: 631
• ISSN on article: 0013-936X
• DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c09059
• COBISS.SI-ID: 200007939
• Publication date in RUL: 27.06.2024

KNUTH, Dennis, GAI, Lingtong, SILVA, Vera, HARKES, Paula, HOFMAN, Jakub, GLAVAN, Matjaž, SCHEEPERS, Paul T. J., RITSEMA, Coen J. and GEISSEN, Violette, 2024, Pesticide residues in organic and conventional agricultural soils across Europe : measured and predicted concentrations. Environmental science & technology [online]. 2024. Vol. 58, no. 15, p. 6457–6842. [Accessed 22 April 2025]. DOI 10.1021/acs.est.3c09059. Retrieved from: https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/IzpisGradiva.php?lang=eng&id=159010

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Environmental science & technology
• Shortened title: Environ. sci. technol.
• Publisher: American Chemical Society
• ISSN: 0013-936X
• COBISS.SI-ID: 5141765

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: kmetijska zemljišča, onesnaženost tal, fitofarmacevtska sredstva, sistem kmetovanja

Projects

• Funder: EC - European Commission
• Project number: 862568
• Name: Sustainable plant protection transition: a global health approach
• Acronym: SPRINT

• Funder: EC - European Commission
• Project number: 857560
• Name: CETOCOEN Excellence
• Acronym: CETOCOEN