Agricultural pesticide in sediment cores from the Lac de Saint-André, France

Agricultural pesticide use has increased worldwide during the last several decades, but the long-term fate, storage, and transfer dynamics of pesticides in a changing environment are poorly understood. Many pesticides have been progressively banned, but in numerous cases, these molecules are stable and may persist in soils, sediments, and ice. Many studies have addressed the question of their possible remobilization as a result of global change. In this article, we present a retro-observation approach based on lake sediment records to monitor micropollutants and to evaluate the long-term succession and diffuse transfer of herbicides, fungicides, and insecticide treatments in a vineyard catchment in France. The sediment allows for a reliable reconstruction of past pesticide use through time, validated by the historical introduction, use, and banning of these organic and inorganic pesticides in local vineyards. Our results also revealed how changes in these practices affect storage conditions and, consequently, the pesticides' transfer dynamics. For example, the use of postemergence herbicides (glyphosate), which induce an increase in soil erosion, led to a release of a banned remnant pesticide (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, DDT), which had been previously stored in vineyard soil, back into the environment. Management strategies of ecotoxicological risk would be well served by recognition of the diversity of compounds stored in various environmental sinks, such as agriculture soil, and their capability to become sources when environmental conditions change.

Jefferson County, Kentucky, 1910 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic, topographic paper map entitled: Topography of Jefferson County, Kentucky : from U.S. Geological Survey topographic atlas sheets surveyed in 1904-1910, U.S. Geological Survey ; in cooperation with Kentucky Geological Survey, C. J. Norwood, director. It was published by U.S. Geological Survey in 1912. Scale 1:62,500. The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the Kentucky North State Plane NAD 1983 coordinate system (in Feet) (Fipszone 1601). All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map. This is a typical topographic map portraying both natural and manmade features. It shows and names works of nature, such as mountains, valleys, lakes, rivers, vegetation, etc. It also identify the principal works of humans, such as roads, railroads, boundaries, transmission lines, major buildings, etc. Relief is shown with standard contour intervals of 20 feet and spot heights. This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from The Harvard Map Collection as part of the Imaging the Urban Environment project. Maps selected for this project represent major urban areas and cities of the world, at various time periods. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features at a large scale. The selection represents a range of regions, originators, ground condition dates, scales, and purposes.

Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, 1858 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: Map of the county of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from surveys under the direction of H.F. Walling ; engraved, printed, colored & mounted at H.F. Wallings Map Establishment. It was published by M.H. Tyler in 1858. Scale [1:31,680]. The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the Wisconsin South State Plane NAD 1983 coordinate system (in Feet) (Fipszone 4803). All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map. This cadastral map shows features such as roads, railroads and stations, drainage, city wards, selected buildings, property lots, and names of landowners, and more. Includes insets: City of Milwaukee -- Humboldt (Milwaukee) -- Franklin -- Oak Creek -- Wauwatosa. This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from The Harvard Map Collection as part of the Imaging the Urban Environment project. Maps selected for this project represent major urban areas and cities of the world, at various time periods. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features at a large scale. The selection represents a range of regions, originators, ground condition dates, scales, and purposes.