Mitigation of chlorpyrifos runoff using constructed wetlands

Constructed wetlands have been proposed as a potential best management practice (BMP) to mitigate effects of pesticide-associated agricultural runoff. Wetland mesocosms ( 14 m×59–73 m ) were amended with chlorpyrifos to simulate a storm runoff event at concentrations of 73, 147 and 733 μg/l. Water, sediment and plant samples collected weekly for 12 weeks indicated that chlorpyrifos rapidly sorbed to sediment and plant material, with approximately 47–65% of measured chlorpyrifos mass retained within the first 30–36 m of wetland mesocosms. Of the measured mass, approximately 55% and 25% were retained by sediments and plants, respectively. A field-scale evaluation of a constructed wetland's mitigation capability was performed in the Lourens River watershed of Cape Town, South Africa. Results indicate that the wetland was able to retain and considerably decrease the concentration (and hence toxicity) of chlorpyrifos and suspended sediment entering the receiving waterbody (Lourens River). This research provides fundamental answers concerning constructed wetland capabilities that are necessary for constructing field-scale systems within agricultural watersheds.