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Quantitative Assessment and Risk Analysis of Pesticide Residues in Water Bodies in Assiut Governorate, Egypt

Research Abstract

Out of the 100 chemicals analyzed, 16 pesticides (7 insecticides, 2 fungicides, and 7 herbicides) from 10 chemical families were found in 55.2% of the surface water samples. Insecticides constituted the most frequently detected class of pesticides (45.3%) across all contaminated samples, a finding that was statistically significant. The organophosphate family was the predominant chemical class, present in 45.3% of the total contaminated surface water samples. Glyphosate was the specific pesticide detected most often (13.2%), and it also exhibited the highst mean concentration among all detected compounds (0.117 µg/L). Examination of the spatial distribution indicated that the River Nile samples had both the greatest cumulative pesticide concentration (0.299 µg/L) and the highest contamination frequency (56.3%). The temporal diversity revealed that the highest summation of mean concentrations was detected for six pesticides in spring (1.156µg/L). The highest total pesticide concentrations in summer (0.71 µg/L), autumn (0.33 µg/L), and spring (0.452 µg/L) were observed in River Nile samples; however, agricultural drainage samples recorded the maximum total concentration during winter (0.371 μg/L). Less than half of our total samples were over the limit established by European legislation (0.1µg/L). Regarding compliance with other regulatory limits, chlorpyrifos, cypermethrin, diazinon, ethoprophos, lambda-cyhalothrin and metalaxyl should be regulated in water bodies in Assiut. A significant portion (68.8%) of the detected pesticides are categorized under the high hazard classification by the PAN (2021). This group includes compounds posing risks of acute human toxicity (27.3%), chronic human hazards (81.8%), and environmental toxicity (54.5%).

Research Authors
Mariam A. Khalaf 1 Mohamed A. I. Ahmed 1 Hosam A. Ezz El-Din 1 Hend A. Mahmoud 2 Nasr S. Khalil
Research Date
Research Department
Research Journal
Assiut Journal of Agricultural Sciences
Research Member
Research Pages
102-129
Research Publisher
Assiut University, Faculty of Agriculture
Research Vol
57
Research Website
https://ajas.journals.ekb.eg/article_482606.html
Research Year
2026