Sampling of Private Wells forSampling of Private Wells forPesticides, Upstate NYPesticides, Upstate NY

Presentation to the NYS Presentation to the NYS

DEC Bureau of Pesticides ManagementDEC Bureau of Pesticides Management

Feb. 24, 2009Feb. 24, 2009

Tammo Steenhuis, Brian Richards Tammo Steenhuis, Brian Richards

& Steve Pacenka& Steve Pacenka

Soil & Water GroupSoil & Water GroupDepartment of Biological and Environmental Department of Biological and Environmental

EngineeringEngineering

Research project being conducted for the Research project being conducted for the DEC Bureau of Pesticides ManagementDEC Bureau of Pesticides Management

Luanne Whitbeck, Project ManagerLuanne Whitbeck, Project Manager

Sam Jackling, Section Chief - Product Sam Jackling, Section Chief - Product RegistrationRegistration

Maureen Serafini, Bureau HeadMaureen Serafini, Bureau Head

Additional Cornell personnel:Additional Cornell personnel:

Tammo Steenhuis (PD), Todd Walter (co-PI)Tammo Steenhuis (PD), Todd Walter (co-PI)

Water Resources Institute – Susan RihaWater Resources Institute – Susan Riha

Project impetusProject impetusTo answer the question:To answer the question:

““What about upstate?”What about upstate?”

more specifically:more specifically:““Are product registration reviews and Are product registration reviews and subsequent application practices subsequent application practices adequate to protect upstate adequate to protect upstate groundwater?”groundwater?”

Project goalProject goal

To assess current potential for To assess current potential for groundwater contamination by groundwater contamination by examining well water in vulnerable sites examining well water in vulnerable sites

Well water in vulnerable areas testing at Well water in vulnerable areas testing at safe levels is presumptive evidence that safe levels is presumptive evidence that groundwater is also safe elsewhere.groundwater is also safe elsewhere.

Objectives todayObjectives today

Update on findings and statusUpdate on findings and status

Where next?Where next?

Atrazine Statewide from PSURAtrazine Statewide from PSUR

All Active Ingredients AddedAll Active Ingredients Added

All Actives in NYC MetroAll Actives in NYC Metro

ProcessProcess

Discuss withSWCD and

others in county

Identify countiesof interest

Sample;analyze at

DEC & CornellBEE labs

Interpret

Recruitland owners

County Partners through 2008County Partners through 2008

Schenectady

Orange

Cayuga

Cortland

Genesee

County chosen based on chemical properties & sales+useExtensive carbonate aquifer conditionsCounty Health Department involvement

Genesee

Well selection includes aerial assessments of site vulnerabilityImmunoassays based on chemical properties & sales+use

Cayuga

Much faster DEC lab turnaroundCounty did sampling in view of distance & contactsMultiple immunoassays based on pesticide sales+useSignificant farming other than dairy

Orange

Chosen based on groundwater use and pesticide sales+useMuch improved DEC lab detection limits

Schenectady

Local cooperation and well selection approach developedDeveloped BEE lab and modeling approach

Cortland

Refinements in Successive CountiesRefinements in Successive Counties

1. Cortland: mixed urban and rural rehearsal1. Cortland: mixed urban and rural rehearsal

2. Schenectady: lots of ground water use, but 2. Schenectady: lots of ground water use, but most on public supplymost on public supply

3. Black dirt area of Orange uses 3. Black dirt area of Orange uses pesticides intenselypesticides intensely

4. Cayuga: continuous farming between4. Cayuga: continuous farming betweenbig fingersbig fingers

Genesee is flat and farmedGenesee is flat and farmed

Well SelectionWell Selection Three approaches used for locating potential Three approaches used for locating potential

sampling sitessampling sites

1) Local knowledge1) Local knowledge

-local experts &-local experts &

experienceexperience

(nitrate issues)(nitrate issues)

-existing maps &-existing maps &

databasesdatabases

-local scouting-local scouting

(drive by and now “fly-over”)(drive by and now “fly-over”)

2) Modeling2) Modeling produces maps produces maps of of relative relative vulnerabilityvulnerability for pesticide for pesticide transport based transport based on soil on soil properties ...properties ...

notnot a prediction of a prediction of actual water actual water concentrationsconcentrations

Landowner Recruitment once Landowner Recruitment once potential sites are identified:potential sites are identified:

In cooperation with SWCDIn cooperation with SWCD

Voluntary participation Voluntary participation

Free to landownerFree to landowner

ConfidentialConfidential

- DEC only sees ID code - DEC only sees ID code

- no specific reporting - no specific reporting

of identity or locationof identity or location

Tony in Orange CountyTony in Orange County

Many wells near farmsMany wells near farms

Sample before treatment ...Sample before treatment ...

Testing for ...Testing for ...

93 pesticide & herbicide active ingredients; 93 pesticide & herbicide active ingredients; @ DEC Pesticide Lab (Pete Furdyna).@ DEC Pesticide Lab (Pete Furdyna).

Selected active ingredients using higher Selected active ingredients using higher resolution immunoassay methods @ resolution immunoassay methods @ Cornell Soil & Water Group lab.Cornell Soil & Water Group lab.

Nitrate @ Cornell Soil & Water Group lab.Nitrate @ Cornell Soil & Water Group lab.

And finding ...And finding ...

DEC lab: no detectable amount of any DEC lab: no detectable amount of any active ingredient in first 120 samples active ingredient in first 120 samples (Cortland, Schenectady, Orange Counties) (Cortland, Schenectady, Orange Counties) – Detection limits are ~ 1 ug/L (1 ppb) or less Detection limits are ~ 1 ug/L (1 ppb) or less

Nitrates typical for rural NY, a few values Nitrates typical for rural NY, a few values above 5 mg/Labove 5 mg/L

more findings ...more findings ...

Immunoassays Cortland and Schenectady: Immunoassays Cortland and Schenectady: traces below quantitation limitstraces below quantitation limits

Immunoassays Orange and Cayuga: a few Immunoassays Orange and Cayuga: a few detects at 0.1 to 0.3 ppb; more traces below detects at 0.1 to 0.3 ppb; more traces below 0.1 ppb, still mostly non-detects0.1 ppb, still mostly non-detects

All far below drinking water or All far below drinking water or environmental standards.environmental standards. GOOD NEWS GOOD NEWS FOR RURAL WATER CONSUMERS.FOR RURAL WATER CONSUMERS.

BEE lab details (well counts)BEE lab details (well counts)Cortland Schen' Orange Cayuga

Nitrate-N >10 mg/L 3 0 0 06-10 8 0 1 31-5 18 7 13 13<1 11 33 26 18interference 0 0 0 6

Metolachlor detect 0trace <0.1 ug/L 5n.d. <0.1 35

Atrazine detect 0.1 - 0.3 0 3 2trace <0.1 20 1 5n.d. <0.1 20 36 33

Alachlor detect 0.1 - 0.3 1trace <0.1 1n.d. <0.1 38

Diazinon detect 0.03 - 0.06 1trace < 0.03 0n.d. < 0.03 39

Imidacloprid detect 0trace <0.2 1n.d. <0.2 39

Looking at Worse Cases: Mobility, Looking at Worse Cases: Mobility, Persistence, Geological VulnerabilityPersistence, Geological Vulnerability

Ground-Water Ubiquity ScoreGround-Water Ubiquity Score

Carbonate aquifersCarbonate aquifers

3 30 300 3000 300001

10

100

1,000

CarbofuranAtrazine

Metolachlor

Aldicarb

Alachlor

Glyphosate isopropylamine salt

Maneb

Diazinon

Imezathapyr Pendimethalin

ChlorpyrifosChlorthalonil

Ground Water Ubiquity Score

GUS=lowGUS=mediumGUS=highGUS=very highSpecific AI

Koc (cc/g) (higher = less mobile)

Hal

f lif

e (

day

s) (

hig

her=

mo

re p

ers

iste

nt)

GUS = log10 (half-life) x [4 - log10 (Koc)]

GUS ScaleGUS Scale

0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0 5.5 6.0 6.5 7.0 7.5

Low HighVery Low Medium Very High

* Imazethapyr * Carbofuran * Atrazine * Alachlor * Chlorothalonil* Glyphosate

GUS-Weighted Sales+UseGUS-Weighted Sales+Use

Popular Pesticides Orange Popular Pesticides Orange County (kg/yr a.i., 2000-2005)County (kg/yr a.i., 2000-2005)

Name Sales Use S+U GUS

MANCOZEB 21,000 300 21,200 1.3CHLOROTHALONIL 7,600 1,800 9,400 1.3CHLORPYRIFOS 7,900 100 8,000 0.3COPPER SULFATE PENTAHYDRATE 100 7,700 7,800 -PENDIMETHALIN 5,600 800 6,300 0.6

MANEB 6,100 200 6,200 1.3ALIPHATIC PETROLEUM.. 2,600 3,200 5,800 -ACETAMIDE, 2-CHLORO-N-..... 4,000 200 4,100 -AATRAM, COMPONENT OF (WITH 3,500 0 3,500 -CAPTAN 3,400 0 3,400 0.7

METOLACHLOR 2,300 900 3,100 3.3DITHANE (MANCOZEB) M-45 .. 2,900 0 2,900 -ATRAZINE 1,600 1,000 2,700 3.6ZINC ION AND MANGANESE ... 1,900 0 2,000 -OXAMYL 2,000 0 2,000 1.6

KARATE 100 1,900 2,000IPRODIONE 1,600 300 1,900 1.3DIMETHYLAMINE 2,4-DICHLO... 700 1,100 1,800 -SULFUR 1,800 0 1,800 -GLYPHOSATE-ISOPROPYLAMMON.. 700 900 1,700 -DIAZINON 1,100 600 1,700 1.6

Popular Pesticides Orange Popular Pesticides Orange CountyCounty

Name Sales Use S+U GUS

MANCOZEB 21,000 300 21,200 1.3CHLOROTHALONIL 7,600 1,800 9,400 1.3CHLORPYRIFOS 7,900 100 8,000 0.3COPPER SULFATE PENTAHYDRATE 100 7,700 7,800 -PENDIMETHALIN 5,600 800 6,300 0.6

MANEB 6,100 200 6,200 1.3ALIPHATIC PETROLEUM.. 2,600 3,200 5,800 -ACETAMIDE, 2-CHLORO-N-..... 4,000 200 4,100 -AATRAM, COMPONENT OF (WITH 3,500 0 3,500 -CAPTAN 3,400 0 3,400 0.7

METOLACHLOR 2,300 900 3,100 3.3DITHANE (MANCOZEB) M-45 .. 2,900 0 2,900 -ATRAZINE 1,600 1,000 2,700 3.6ZINC ION AND MANGANESE ... 1,900 0 2,000 -OXAMYL 2,000 0 2,000 1.6

KARATE 100 1,900 2,000IPRODIONE 1,600 300 1,900 1.3DIMETHYLAMINE 2,4-DICHLO... 700 1,100 1,800 -SULFUR 1,800 0 1,800 -GLYPHOSATE-ISOPROPYLAMMON.. 700 900 1,700 -DIAZINON 1,100 600 1,700 1.6

Vulnerability: CarbonateVulnerability: Carbonate

Carbonate in Cross SectionCarbonate in Cross Section

Source: USGS national ground water atlas

Western NY Carbonate + GUSWestern NY Carbonate + GUS

Carbonateaquiferuppermost

TargetingTargetingWells:Wells:

CayugaCayugaSitesSitesandand

CarbonateCarbonate

Genesee Carbonate + GUSGenesee Carbonate + GUS

Where Next?Where Next?

A sixth year is in our contract.A sixth year is in our contract.

Default place: Another western NY county, Default place: Another western NY county, where GUS-weighted pesticide use leads where GUS-weighted pesticide use leads us?us?

ContactsContacts

Tammo Steenhuis (tss1@cornell.edu)Tammo Steenhuis (tss1@cornell.edu)

Brian Richards (bkr2@cornell.edu)Brian Richards (bkr2@cornell.edu)

Steve Pacenka (sp17@cornell.edu)Steve Pacenka (sp17@cornell.edu)

ThanksThanksKeith Porter and Susan Riha NYS WRI directors, who Keith Porter and Susan Riha NYS WRI directors, who delegated to BEEdelegated to BEE

Cortland, Schenectady, Orange, Cayuga, and Genesee Cortland, Schenectady, Orange, Cayuga, and Genesee County Soil and Water Conservation Districts: local County Soil and Water Conservation Districts: local partnerspartners

Cornell Pesticide Management Education Program for help Cornell Pesticide Management Education Program for help using the PSUR databaseusing the PSUR database

NYS Soil & Water Conservation Committee for early NYS Soil & Water Conservation Committee for early endorsementendorsement

Cornell students Ian Toevs, Tony Salvucci, Ben Liu, Cornell students Ian Toevs, Tony Salvucci, Ben Liu, Sophia Garcia, Mike Sinkevich, Ivy Tsoi, Zia Ahmed, Karah Sophia Garcia, Mike Sinkevich, Ivy Tsoi, Zia Ahmed, Karah SpeidelSpeidel