Environmental science: reflections on the monitoring of pesticide residues in drinking, superficial, and underground water

Abstract

Water analysis, from a chemical perspective, is usually performed based on the definition of the parameters to be analyzed and on the techniques for determining the concentration. Thus, this essentially Cartesian approach is considered, which engenders other possibilities, such as knowledge of other areas of science, as well as knowledge of social, economic, and public policy factors. Therefore, this bibliographic review work aims to present a closer view of systemic thinking and interdisciplinarity applied to chemical analysis, with the purpose of generating a more integrated discussion about the analysis of pesticides. The results show that the Brazilian environmental legislation on water resources management is not yet fully implemented due to the lack of surveillance; moreover, there is a lack of integration and interaction between the various public agents: universities and research institutions, regulatory agencies, and other branches of the executive power.