PESTICIDES IN PRECIPITATION IN NORTHERN GERMANY

In a two year study from March 1990 until March 1992 eleven pesticides (atrazine, chlorpyrifos, lindane, isoproturon, parathion, pirimicarb, propiconazole, propoxur, terbuthylazine, vinclozoline and alpha-HCH) were analyzed in precipitation collected in bulk samplers and in a wet only sampler at three sites in Lower Saxony m northern Germany. The most commonly detected pesticides were atrazine, isoproturon, isoproturon, lindane, terbuthylazine. The occurence of the pesticides in precipitation was mainly limited to the application period except for lindane which was determined all the year round. If detected, the concentration of die pesticides ranged from 10 ng/l to 710 ng/l. Lindane showed higher annual deposition values (0.43 - 0.70 g/ha.a) than the other pesticides (< 0.001 - 0.36 g/ha.a). The most pesticides were found at all sites but in regions with arable land in higher quantities.