Agricultural Sources of Micropollutants: from the Catchment to the Lake

Agricultural activities, particularly the use of pesticides, significantly contribute to micropollutant levels in freshwater environments. A study focusing on the Lavaux vineyard terraces, part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site bordering Lake Geneva, revealed that glyphosate and its metabolite AMPA can be highly mobile despite their strong sorption abilities. This mobility poses environmental risks, as demonstrated by species sensitivity distribution (SSD) curves for these compounds. The research examined the transport dynamics of pesticides from application to their impact on living organisms, highlighting a critical gap in understanding the persistence and movement of micropollutants in catchment areas.

Daouk, S., Copin, P.-J., Chèvre, N., & Pfeifer, H.-R. (2018). Agricultural Sources of Micropollutants: from the Catchment to the Lake. Micropollutants in Large Lakes, 21–60. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781351240291-2