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Assessing pesticide, trace metal, and arsenic contamination in soils and dam sediments in a rapidly expanding horticultural area in Australia

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Abstract

Industrial horticulture can release pesticides and trace metals/metalloids to terrestrial and aquatic environments. To assess long-term and more recent land contamination from an expanding horticultural region, we sampled soils from chemical mixing, crop production, and drainage areas, as well as retention reservoirs (dam) sediments, from 3 blueberry farms with varying land-use history in subtropical Australia. Soils were analysed for 97 different pesticides and trace metal/metalloid contents. The most recent farm had fungicides propiconazole and cyprodinil contents that may compromise soil invertebrate survival and/or nutrient recycling (5–125 mg kg−1). A site previously used to cultivate bananas had 6 dam sediment subsamples with arsenic contents over sediment quality guidelines (SQG); however, the soil content values were just below Australian health investigation levels (100 mg kg−1). Arsenic is suspected to originate from pesticide application during previous banana cultivation in the region. Dam sediment cores at all sites had mercury contents over the SQG likely due to fungicides or fertiliser impurities. Mean contents of mercury from dam sediments (141 ± 15.5 µg kg−1) were greater than terrestrial soils (78 ± 6.5 µg kg−1), and sediment profiles suggest mercury retention in anoxic sediments. Soils in chemical mixing areas at two sites were contaminated with copper and zinc which were above the national soil ecological investigation levels. Based on toxicity data, distribution, persistence, and mobility, we identified the fungicide cyprodinil, mercury, and phosphorus as contaminants of the greatest concern in this intensive horticulture area of Australia. Additional sampling (spatial, chemical speciation, biotic) is required to support mitigation efforts of the emerging contamination in the rapidly expanding blueberry farms of this region of Australia.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge the Gumbaynggirr people, traditional owners of the land on which this work took place. This project was funded by the Coffs Harbour City Council’s Environmental Levy program. We would like to acknowledge the contributions of Coffs Harbour City Council’s Samantha Hessey, Project Officer for the Orara River Rehabilitation Project & Regional State of the Environment Reporting for inspiring and supporting this project. We wish to thank the landowners who were kind enough to let us conduct sampling on their property and the efforts of Dylan Brown, Carolina Bueno, and Ceylena Holloway in both the laboratory and the field. Simon Proust provided insight in selecting sampling locations. Funding was provided by Australian Research Council (Grant Nos. FT170100327 and DE160100443).

Funding

Funding was provided by Coffs Harbour City Council’s Environmental Levy Grant Program. IRS and CJS receive funding from the Australian Research Council (FT170100327 and DE160100443).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Marine Science Centre, School of Environment, Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, P.O. Box 157, Coffs Harbour, NSW, 2540, Australia

    Stephen R. Conrad, Shane A. White, Isaac R. Santos & Christian J. Sanders

  2. Department of Marine Sciences, University of Gothenburg, P.O. Box 461, 40530, Gothenburg, Sweden

    Isaac R. Santos

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  1. Stephen R. Conrad
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  2. Shane A. White
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  3. Isaac R. Santos
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  4. Christian J. Sanders
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Contributions

SC, CS, and SW collected and prepared samples for analysis. SC wrote the introduction, methods, results, discussion, and conclusions sections of the manuscript. SW assisted in sampling design and wrote the study site section of the manuscript. CS and IS critically revised the intellectual content and edited multiple drafts of the manuscript before submission.

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Correspondence to Stephen R. Conrad.

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Conrad, S.R., White, S.A., Santos, I.R. et al. Assessing pesticide, trace metal, and arsenic contamination in soils and dam sediments in a rapidly expanding horticultural area in Australia. Environ Geochem Health 43, 3189–3211 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-020-00803-z

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