Assessing soil contamination A reference manual Contents

FAO PESTICIDE DISPOSAL SERIES 8

Assessing soil contamination

A reference manual

Editing, design, graphics and desktop publishing:
Editorial Group
FAO Information Division

The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. Applications for such permission, with a statement of the purpose and extent of the reproduction, should be addressed to the Director, Information Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00100 Rome, Italy.

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS Rome © FAO 2000

Hyperlinks to non-FAO Internet sites do not imply any official endorsement of or responsibility for the opinions, ideas, data or products presented at these locations, or guarantee the validity of the information provided. The sole purpose of links to non-FAO sites is to indicate further information available on related topics.

Hyperlinks to non-FAO Internet sites do not imply any official endorsement of or responsibility for the opinions, ideas, data or products presented at these locations, or guarantee the validity of the information provided. The sole purpose of links to non-FAO sites is to indicate further information available on related topics.

Contents

INTRODUCTION

How to use this manual

PART A
ASSESSING CONTAMINATION

DISTRIBUTION OF PESTICIDES INTO THE ENVIRONMENT

Step 1
DETERMINING THE RELEVANT PESTICIDES

Step 2
ASSESSING CONTAMINATION CAUSED BY INFILTRATION

Assessing the pesticide concentration in the soil

Step 3
ASSESSING CONTAMINATION IN GROUNDWATER

Assessing the likelihood of spillages reaching the groundwater

Determining the pesticide concentration in the groundwater

Step 4
DETERMINING DISTRIBUTION BY WIND

Assessing the rate of emission of pesticides out of the store

PART B IDENTIFYING POSSIBLE HUMAN HEALTH RISKS THROUGH CONTAMINATION

INTRODUCTION

Step 5
IDENTIFYING EXPOSURE POINTS

Exposure points in the area where groundwater is contaminated

Exposure points in the area where topsoil is contaminated by wind

Step 6
PREDICTING CONCENTRATIONS AT THE EXPOSURE POINTS

Points exposed to groundwater contamination

Points exposed to contamination by wind

Step 7
IDENTIFYING EXPOSURE ROUTES

Step 8
DETERMINING WHEN PERMISSIBLE EXPOSURE LEVELS HAVE BEEN EXCEEDED

Permissible exposure levels for groundwater

Permissible exposure levels for wind

PART C
DETERMINING FOLLOW-UP MEASURES

Step 9
CHECKING

Checking in the field

What to do if results are different from those predicted

Step 10
MEASURES FOR ADDRESSING CONTAMINATION

Disposing of obsolete pesticides

Disposing of contaminated soil or groundwater

Which measures to take

APPENDIX 1
FIELD FORMAT FOR ASSESSING CONTAMINATION

Step 1
DETERMINING THE RELEVANT PESTICIDES

Step 2
ASSESSING CONTAMINATION CAUSED BY INFILTRATION

Step 3
ASSESSING CONTAMINATION IN GROUNDWATER

Step 4
DETERMINING DISTRIBUTION BY WIND

Step 5
IDENTIFYING EXPOSURE POINTS

Step 6
PREDICTING CONCENTRATIONS AT THE EXPOSURE POINTS

Step 7
IDENTIFYING EXPOSURE ROUTES

Step 8
DETERMINING WHEN PERMISSIBLE EXPOSURE LEVELS HAVE BEEN EXCEEDED

Step 9
DETERMINING FOLLOW-UP MEASURES

FIELD FORMAT FOR ASSESSING CONTAMINATION: EXAMPLE 1

DESCRIPTION OF A STORAGE SITE WITH OBSOLETE PESTICIDES

Step 1
Determining the relevant pesticides

Step 2
Assessing contamination caused by infiltration

Step 3
Assessing contamination in groundwater

Step 4
Determining distribution by wind

Step 5
Identifying exposure points

Step 6
Predicting concentrations at the exposure points

Step 7
Identifying exposure routes

Step 8
Determining when permissible exposure levels have been exceeded

Step 9
Determining follow-up measures

FIELD FORMAT FOR ASSESSING CONTAMINATION: EXAMPLE 2

DESCRIPTION OF A STORAGE SITE WITH OBSOLETE PESTICIDES

Step 1
Determining the relevant pesticides

Step 2
Assessing contamination caused by infiltration

Step 3
Assessing contamination in groundwater

Step 4
Determining distribution by wind

Step 5
Identifying exposure points

Step 6
Predicting concentrations at the exposure points

Step 7
Identifying exposure routes

Step 8
Determining when permissible exposure levels have been exceeded

Step 9
Determining follow-up measures

APPENDIX 2
PARAMETERS OF PESTICIDES THAT INFLUENCE PROCESSES IN THE SOIL

PARAMETERS OF PESTICIDES THAT INFLUENCE PROCESSES IN THE SOIL

APPENDIX 3
FACT SHEETS ON PESTICIDES

ALDRIN

ATRAZINE

CAPTAFOL

CARBARYL

CARBOFURAN

CHLORDANE

CHLORDIMEFORM

CHLORFENVINPHOS (BIRLANE)

CHLOROBENZILATE

DDT

DIAZINON

DIELDRIN

DIMETHOATE

DINOSEB

ENDOSULFAN

ENDRIN

FENITROTHION

FENTHION

FLUOROACETAMIDE

HCH (MIXED ISOMERS)

HEPTACHLOR

HEXACHLOROBENZENE

LINDANE (γ-HEXACHLOROCYCLOHEXANE)

MALATHION

MANCOZEB

MERCURIC CHLORIDE

METHAMIDOPHOS

MIREX

MONOCROTOPHOS

PARAQUAT

PARATHION

PARATHION-METHYL

PENTACHLOROPHENOL

PHOSPHAMIDON

PROPUXUR

TOXAPHENE

2, 4, 5-T

WARFARIN

APPENDIX 4
FACT SHEETS ON CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS

CROCIDOLITE (ASBESTOS)

1, 2-DIBROMOETHANE

POLYBROMINATED BIPHENYLS (PBBs)

POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS (PCBs)

TRIS (2, 3- DIBROMO-1-PROPYL) PHOSPHATE

APPENDIX 5
DETERMINING WHICH PESTICIDES ARE RELEVANT

APPENDIX 6
DETERMINING THE DISTRIBUTION BY WIND

APPENDIX 7
PARAMETERS FOR DETERMINING PESTICIDE CONCENTRATION IN GROUNDWATER

APPENDIX 8
DETERMINING PERMISSIBLE CONCENTRATIONS

APPENDIX 9
REFERENCES