title: Landscape parameters driving aquatic pesticide exposure and effects.
abstract: Pesticide contamination is considered one of the reasons streams fail to achieve good ecological and chemical status, the main objectives of the Water Framework Directive. However, little is known on the interaction of different pesticide sources and landscape parameters and the resulting impairment of macroinvertebrate communities. We evaluated the potential effects of diffuse and point sources of pesticides using macroinvertebrate monitoring data from 663 sites in central Germany. Additionally, we investigated forested upstream reaches and structural quality as landscape parameters potentially mitigating or amplifying the effects of pesticides. Diffuse pesticide pollution and forested upstream reaches were the most important parameters affecting macroinvertebrate communities (pesticide-specific indicator SPEARpesticides). Our results indicate that forested upstream reaches and riparian buffer strips at least 5 m in width can mitigate the effects and exposure of pesticides. In addition, we developed a screening approach that allows an initial, cost-effective identification of sites of concern.
authors.affiliation: UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department Bioenergy, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department System Ecotoxicology, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; University Koblenz-Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, Quantitative Landscape Ecology, Fortstrasse 7, 76829 Landau, Germany. Electronic address: katja.bunzel@ufz.de.
authors.forename: Katja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bunzel
authors.affiliation: UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department System Ecotoxicology, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany. Electronic address: matthias.liess@ufz.de.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liess
authors.affiliation: UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department System Ecotoxicology, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Ueberlandstrasse 133, CH-8600 Duebendorf, Switzerland. Electronic address: mira.kattwinkel@ufz.de.
authors.forename: Mira
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kattwinkel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D059001:Aquatic Organisms / Q000145:classification / Q000254:growth & development; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005858:Germany; D007448:Invertebrates / Q000145:classification / Q000254:growth & development; D010575:Pesticides / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D010575:Pesticides; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Macroinvertebrates; Mitigation measures; Monitoring; Pesticide sources; SPEAR