Distribution of pesticides in dust particles in urban environments

In regions with a mild climate, pesticides are often used around homes for pest control. Recent monitoring studies have linked pesticide use in residential areas to aquatic toxicity in urban surface water ecosystems, and suggested dust particles on paved surfaces as an important source of pesticides. To test the hypothesis that dust on hard surfaces is a significant source of pesticides, we evaluated spatial and temporal patterns of current-use insecticides in Southern California, and further explored their distribution as a function of particle sizes. Pyrethroid insecticides were detected in dust from the driveway, curb gutter and street at 53.5–94.8%, with median concentrations of 1–46 ng g−1. Pyrethroid residues were uniformly distributed in areas adjacent to a house, suggesting significant redistribution. The total levels of pyrethroids in dust significantly (p