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Publikationstyp
Wissenschaftlicher Artikel
Erscheinungsjahr
2023
Width of vegetated buffer strips to protect aquatic life from pesticide effects
Width of vegetated buffer strips to protect aquatic life from pesticide effects
Autor:innen
Herausgeber
Quelle
Water Research
231 (2023)
231 (2023)
Schlagwörter
Landwirtschaftliche Bewässerung, Schädlingsbekämpfungsmittel, Vegetation, Wasserorganismen, Ökologie, Bundesrepublik Deutschland
Zitation
LIEBMANN, Liana, Philipp VORMEIER, Matthias LIESS und Oliver WEISNER, 2023. Width of vegetated buffer strips to protect aquatic life from pesticide effects. Water Research [online]. 2023. Bd. 231 (2023). DOI 10.60810/openumwelt-53. Verfügbar unter: https://openumwelt.de/handle/123456789/2476
Zusammenfassung englisch
Vegetated buffer strips (VBS) are an effective measure to retain pesticide inputs during rain events. Numerous studies have examined the retention effects of VBS onpesticides. However, no study has addressed on a large scale with event-related peak concentrations how wide the VBS should be to avoid ecological impacts onaquatic life. Here, we investigated for 115 lowland stream sections in Germany the relevance of environmental and physico-chemical parameters to determine the in-stream pesticide concentration and their ecological risks. Based on peak concentrations related to rain events with precipitation amount resulting in VBS relevantsurface runoff for 30 of the 115 investigated stream sections (25 to 70 mm/d), we demonstrated that the average width of VBS was the main parameter (R2 = 0.38)reducing the pesticide input ratio, indicating a relevant proportion of surface runoff contributing to the total in-stream pesticide concentrations. Additionally, dryditches within agricultural fields increased pesticide input (R2 = 0.31). Generally, substances classified as slightly mobile were better retained by VBS than mobilesubstances. Other factors including slope, land use and vegetation cover of VBS had only a minor influence. We assessed the ecological risk of in-stream pesticideconcentrations by quantifying exceedances of regulatory- (RAC) and field-validated acceptable concentrations (ACfield). We then translated this ecological risk intoprotective VBS width by calculating the quotient of in-stream concentration and threshold (RQ). We estimate that a VBS width of 18 m is sufficient to meet theRQACfield protection goal for 95% of streams. The presence of dry ditches increased the protective VBS width to 32 m. In current agricultural practice, however, 26%of the water stretches investigated do not comply with the prescribed 5 m VBS. An extension of the VBS area to 18 m would demand 3.8% of agricultural land withinthe catchments. A 50% reduction in pesticide use, as required by the European green deal, would still result in 39% (RAC) and 68% (ACfield) of event-related samplesbeing exceeded. Consequently, we see the extension of the VBS width as the most efficient mearsure to sustainably reduce pesticide concentrations in small streams. © 2023 Elsevier