Pesticides in Austrian running waters - a country-wide overview

The analyses of pesticides in Austrian running waters are major part of the country-wide water quality monitoring system which has been established in 1991. This paper summarizes the data which were collected for 29 substances between December 1991 and June 1995. The monitoring activities focus on herbicides because they are the most important pesticide group in Austria. Substances of the triazines and phenoxyalkanecarboxylic acid group analyzed within the programme represent the major part of the total amount of herbicides applied. The most detected pesticides were atrazine and its metabolite deethylatrazine. Peak concentrations were obtained in rivers situated in the eastern and southern regions of Austria with intensive agriculture. Other substances play a minor role as contaminants in running waters. These findings correspond to the data obtained by investigations of groundwater in porous media.