Identification of scenarios for assessing the environmental risk of pesticides in surface water in the Brazilian Cerrado: Goiás and Bahia

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.22533/at.ed.0973622601046

• Palavras-chave: water resources, contamination, pesticide registration, ecological exposure, GIS.

• Keywords: water resources, contamination, pesticide registration, ecological exposure, GIS.

• Abstract:

  The objective of this study was to identify scenarios for environmental risk assessment (ERA) of pesticides in surface water in Brazil. An exploratory analysis was conducted using data on agricultural croplands and lentic water bodies in the Cerrado biome in the states of Goiás and Bahia. The ratios between the drainage areas of river basins with soybean crops and the surface areas of lakes and reservoirs were calculated to identify typical and critical scenarios for ERA of pesticides. The methodology applied proved effective for generating the information necessary to establish scenarios for ERA of pesticides in surface water bodies in Brazil. The results obtained for soybean cultivation in the Cerrado biome in the states of Goiás and Bahia indicated that there is a difference between the typical and critical scenarios identified and the first-level pesticide ARA scenario for surface waters adopted by IBAMA. However, further studies are needed so that, with a larger dataset, it will be possible to conclude on the need to modify the scenario adopted in the ARA for different agricultural crops and regions of Brazil.