Pesticide occurrence and distribution in fogwater collected at four sites at Strasbourg metropolitan between 2015 and 2021

Abstract

The presence of pesticides in fogwater plays a major role in accumulating relatively substantial levels of trace compounds due to their unique physico-chemical characteristics. The radiation wintertime fog in Alsace has been studied in the past few years (between 2015 and 2021) at four sites (Geispolsheim, Erstein, Strasbourg, and Cronenbourg). Fog samples are extracted using the liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) performed on the XTR Chromabond cartridge coupled with gas/liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS and LC-MS/MS). The samples are found to be contaminated by 25 semi- and non-volatile currently-used and previously-banned pesticides (like procymidone) and 16 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) at notable levels and high detection frequency (DF). The analysis also reveals that Cronenbourg is the most contaminated site (31.5 ± 3.0 μg. L-1), followed by Erstein (23.1 ± 17.0 μg. L-1), Strasbourg (23.0 ± 3.5 μg. L-1), and Geispolsheim (22.8 ± 7.7 μg. L-1). Pearson and principal component analyses (PCA) prove the simultaneous application of fungicides, insecticides, and herbicides, and their atmospheric transport, mainly through west-southern air currents, from highly impacted sites to near-by urban and less impact sites (Strasbourg and Cronenbourg). The levels of OCPs are found at lower concentrations at all sites than other pesticides, of which dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and its metabolites have the highest contribution (27%), while hexachlorobenzene (HCB) has the least contribution (3%). Ratio analysis indicates the historical emission of DDTs, whereas a recent and local input of lindane and endosulfan has been observed.