Study of the Contamination Level of Surface a...

Study of the Contamination Level of Surface and Groundwater by Pesticides Applied in Guntur Rual Agriculture Fields

Author Name : Dr. E V Suresh Kumar* , P. Phebe

ABSTRACT In general, the term "pesticides" refers to a large class of chemical compounds, either synthetic or natural, that are used to kill pests and other biological threats that harm agricultural crops. These substances can be divided into insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, defoliants, fumigants, rodenticides or rodenticides, nematicides, and acaricides based on their mode of action. The main goal of these crop management practises is to ensure greater productivity in the areas where food crops are grown, in addition to improving the product's quality attributes. The following issues stand out as a result of the excessive use of these pesticides for the population and the environment: serious soil contamination and some contamination of water sources close to the plantations. Furthermore, it's critical to note that the lack of knowledge among the general public, particularly among farmers, is regarded as a further serious issue because, according to the literature, there aren't many scientific studies that try to pinpoint the physicochemical characteristics of these substances. The main goal of this work is to assess the potential for contamination of pesticides applied in the irrigation perimeter of Guntur Rural Villages, Andhra Pradesh, India, between the years of 2013 and 2014. For this, analyses were performed using Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) criteria, the GUS index, and the GOSS method. It was then possible to confirm that the majority of the pesticides examined presented contamination risks for surface and groundwater in addition to being categorised as extremely and moderately toxic, which may result in a variety of negative effects on both people and the environment.