New Book Chapter: Pesticides in Our Homes Wash Down the Drain
May 28, 2019
A state-of-the-science review of current-use pesticides in wastewater, led by SFEI senior scientist Dr. Rebecca Sutton, indicates this pollution pathway is significant and should not be overlooked. The book chapter provides a comprehensive conceptual model of all types of pesticides that have the potential to be washed down the drain and into wastewater. Conventional wastewater treatment technologies are generally ineffective at removing pesticides, so additional monitoring and modeling studies are needed to guide efforts to prevent pesticide pollution.
Associated Staff:
Programs and Focus Areas:
Contaminants of Emerging Concern
Related Projects, News, and Events:
New Delta RMP Publications on Pesticides and Nutrients (News)
The Delta Regional Monitoring Program was founded in 2014 to help inform decisions on how to protect and restore water quality in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The Delta is at the heart of California’s divisive water politics—it is the source of drinking water for 25 million people, supplies irrigation water to millions of acres of rich farmland, and is also the home for threatened and endangered species.
Local coverage of RMP findings on flea control pesticide fipronil (News)
A report from ABC7's Dan Ashley on May 17, 2017 highlighted key findings from a recent RMP study on the pesticide fipronil. The study identified spot-on flea control products as likely to be an important source of this contaminant to the Bay.