Pesticide Pollution Control

Methods are suggested for evaluating water quality with respect to its content of selected groups of pesticides. They are intended to provide a base for discussion leading to the development of public policy for the inclusion of such values in water quality standards. Therefore, an effect - 10% depression of acetylcholinesterase concentration in fish brain - is suggested as an upper limit for a large group of organophosphorus and carbamate compounds. The selection of means for measuring the effect of chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticides is more difficult and presents problems. A suggested partial solution of these problems would be the establishment of minimum permissible concentrations in point-source discharges containing such materials. This would be an attainable objective that would result in reduction of the concentrations of such persistent materials. 29 references, 1 table.