Phenoxyacid Herbicides in Stormwater Retention Ponds: Urban Inputs

Abstract

Surface water runoff from urban centers is a major source of environmental pollution which impacts water quality in downstream aquatic habitats. Phenoxyacid herbicides are some of the most widely globally used herbicides in agriculture and urban environments for weed control. Their transformation products which in- clude chlorophenols can be more toxic than the active ingredients. We used LC/MS/MS to analyzed simul- taneously these acid herbicides and their transformation products in stormwater retention ponds taken from an urban environment to examine the occurrence and potential release of these herbicides from urban inputs into downstream waters. 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and mecoprop were detected in all samples col- lected from the ponds and at the highest concentrations, while 2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid was de- tected only in spring and summer. Two transformation products, 4-chloro-2-methylphenol and 2,4-di- chlorophenol were detected in samples primarily at inlet locations on the ponds indicating that degradation had occurred in surface soils prior to surface water runoff.