Triazine and chloroacetamide herbicides in Sydenham River water and municipal drinking water, Dresden, Ontario, Canada, 1981–1987

Abstract

Samples of raw river water from the Sydenham River, Ontario were collected 30 to 50 times per year between 1981 and 1987 along with paired samples of drinking water from the town of Dresden. Atrazine and its metabolite, deethyl atrazine, were found in 89 to 100% of the raw water over the seven year period. Alachlor was found only in 1982, 1984 and 1985 when 2 to 17% of raw waters were contaminated. Cancellation of the registration to use alachlor at the end of 1985 resulted in no residues being found in 1986 and 1987. Cyanazine was found in 3 to 29% (1982–87), metolachlor in 19 to 27% (1984–87) and metribuzin in 2 to 7% (1982-86) of raw river water. Comparison of those residues in raw with those in drinking water revealed that chlorination of river water had no effect in reducing herbicide concentrations. During 1985 the addition of up to 50 mg/L of powdered charcoal to raw water reduced residues to near or below detection limits fors-triazine and Chloroacetamide herbicides. However, in 1986, with a reduced rate of 20 mg/L of charcoal herbicide residues were only slightly reduced and in 1987 with only 5 mg/L no reductions occurred.