Occurrence Of Pesticides In Surface And Groundwater In Two Catchments On Sjælland, Denmark

The release of chemicals such as chlorinated solvents, pesticides and other xenobiotic organic compounds to streams, either from contaminated sites, accidental or direct application/ release, is a significant threat to water resources. Fulfilling the requirements of the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD), which requires member states to guarantee the good ecological status (or potential, in the case of “heavily modified water bodies”) of its receiving waters, is challenging since it is difficult to successfully evaluate all the pressures stressing an ecosystem. This study endeavours to identify – and ideally separate – potential stressors acting on surface water ecosystems at the catchment-scale. A secondary objective was to evaluate possible water quality differences between site types (distinguished as first-order stream locations potentially impacted by a single stressor) and seasons.