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Household pesticide is finding its way into California rivers, study suggests

Posted by: Maven on February 4, 2010 at 8:42 am

From the New York Times:

“Pyrethroids, a common home pesticide, have been found in California rivers at levels toxic to some stream-dwellers, according to a new study.

The pesticide is often used in California to kill ants and other insects, and has been found in sewage treatment outflow and storm runoff in the Sacramento area. Scientists found the toxin in low levels in the San Joaquin River and the American River, according to research published yesterday in the journal of Environmental Science and Technology.

The scientists found the toxin present at about four parts per trillion, an extremely small amount, but enough to kill small aquatic larvae, the researchers said.

“It probably takes 100 times more to kill a fish,” said Donald Weston, one of the study’s authors and a professor of integrative biology at the University of California, Berkeley. “The concern would be the invertebrates that the fish depend on for food.” … “

Read more from the New York Times by clicking here.

February 4, 2010 · Filed Under Water Quality

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