Phenylurea and Triazine Herbicides in the Garonne River (France) During High Flood and Low Water Periods

Abstract

Phenylureas and triazines were analysed by reversed-phase liquid chromatography using UV detection at 254 nm after an on-line preconcentration step on a PRP-1 copolymer in order to determine pesticides in river water at μg/1 level or lower. Running water was sampled in the Garonne from a station located at La Réole, upstream from Bordeaux and from a small tributary, the Dropt. Water samples were collected mainly at several periods between December 1989 and September 1990 at a low water time (December 1989) and during two high flood periods (February 1990 and May 1990). Atrazine, simazine, de-ethylatiazine, diuron, chlortoluron and isoproturon were detected and quantified. In the Garonne river, atrazine, simazine, de-ethylatrazine and diuron were usually present at the sampling time, whereas chlortoluron and isoproturon maximised during the winter flood (February). In the Dropt river, triazine concentrations were normally between 1.0 and 0.1 μg/1 and maximised at 2.2 μg/1 during the spring flood (June 1990). De-ethylatrazine/(Atrazine + Simazine) ratio seems to be significantly higher than in the Mississippi river and may be in relation to the use of simazine in the drainage basin. These data are in agreement with seasonal applications of phenylurea and triazine herbicides and hydrologic and pluviometric conditions.