DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

 

 

WATER QUALITY ACTIVITIES

The PCP has been involved in numerous ground and surface water monitoring activities during 2009. 

PCP Ground Water Monitoring Network

2009: Monitoring continued on the PCP Ground Water Monitoring network. The network consists of 32 

shallow wells in areas of current (or previous) high agricultural pesticide use, mostly in the southern 

portion of the state. The network added 3 new wells (42, 54 & 58) in 2009. Thirteen wells were sampled 

in 2009; the new wells were sampled twice, all others once. Eight of the 13 wells sampled showed 

detections. Each sample underwent the phenoxy-acid herbicide scan and the GC/MS instrument pesticide 

scan. 

2009 saw reduced sampling with fewer wells sampled due to financial constraints and the initiation of the 

Surface Water Monitoring Projects. Priority was given to wells not sampled in 2008 and wells with a 

history of detections over the years. 

After more than 10 years of monitoring activity, two wells (#8 and #10) have exhibited a consistent 

pattern of pesticide residues. Both are located in the Upper Deerfield Township area of Cumberland 

County. Well #24, located in Buena Vista Township in Atlantic County, has demonstrated consistently 

high levels of DCPA since the addition of the phenoxy-acid herbicide scan in 2005. Newly established 

Well #42 in Millville, Cumberland County, provided detections of DCPA in both samples obtained in 

2009. The level of DCPA detected in Well #24 exceeded the established Health Advisory Level (see 

chart below); no other exceedences were detected. 

CHRIS CHRISTIE

 Governor 

BOB MARTIN Pesticide Control Program Acting Commissioner

Pesticide Monitoring & Evaluation Section 

PO Box 437 

Trenton, NJ 08625-0437 

Phone: (609)530-4070 Fax: (609)530-2006 

Website: www.pcpnj.org

New Jersey is an Equal Opportunity Employer l Printed on Recycled Paper and Recyclable 

KIM GUADAGNO 

 Lt. Governor
Summary: 2009 Ground Water Monitoring Well Results 

 

13 wells sampled, 16 samples, 8 wells with detections (9 total detections) 

 Reference Levels (RL) 

Compound Type 

# of 

Detects 

Mean 

Level 

Detected 

Highest 

Level 

Detected 

% of 

RL 

(>=5%)

EPA DW 

Standard 

(MCL) 

EPA HAL 

(Life-time) 

NJ Interim 

Generic 

GW Quality 

SOC 

Chlorthal-dimethyl H 5 63 ug/l 300 ug/l 428% - 70 ug/l - 

Metalaxyl F 1 - 0.39 ug/l - - - 100 ug/l 

Metolachlor H 2 0.31 ug/l 0.63 ug/l - - 100 ug/l - 

Norflurazon H 2 0.93 ug/l 1.30 ug/l - - - 100 ug/l 

Simazine H 1 - 0.22 ug/l 6% 4 ug/l 4 ug/l - 

Terbacil H 2 0.69 ug/l 1.10 ug/l - - 90 ug/l - 

H = Herbicide F = Fungicide 

Details of 2009 Monitoring Well Detections 

Well Date Detected Compound Level 

 

42 (Millville) 5/13/09 DCPA 4.0 ug/l 

10 (Upper Deerfield) 7/15/09 DCPA 0.54 ug/l 

31 (Mannington) 7/15/09 Metolachlor 0.23 ug/l 

22 (Harrison) 7/15/09 Norflurazon 0.56 ug/l 

24 (Buena Vista) 7/28/09 DCPA 300 ug/l 

 Metalaxyl 0.39 ug/l 

8 (Upper Deerfield) 8/5/09 DCPA 9.4 ug/l 

 Metolachlor 0.40 ug/l 

 Simazine 0.22 ug/l 

23 (Harrison) 8/5/09 Terbacil 0.28 ug/l 

42 (Millville) 9/24/09 DCPA 3.1 ug/l 

54 (Hammonton) 9/24/09 Norflurazon 1.3 ug/l 

 Terbacil 1.1 ug/l 
Surface Water Monitoring Project 

2009: Surface water monitoring began throughout the state in 2009. As with the monitoring wells, high 

pesticide use in the surrounding area was the primary site selection rational. Unlike the wells, the focus 

went beyond agricultural areas to residential areas. The initial sites provide an overview of the state from 

rural to suburban to urban to agricultural areas. 

Thirty-seven sampling locations in nine New Jersey counties provided forty-seven samples. Counties 

sampled included Burlington, Gloucester and Salem in the south, Monmouth, Ocean and Somerset midstate, and Essex, Sussex and Warren in the north. Sampling occurred twice at 10 locations during the 

season. As was the case with the monitoring well samples, each surface water sample underwent the 

phenoxy-acid herbicide scan and the GC/MS instrument pesticide scan. 

Twenty-nine of the 47 samples provided detections. Twelve samples had more than one pesticide residue 

identified. The most common combination detected together was DCPA and Metolachlor. The analysis 

detected forty-four pesticide residues; 25 of those were at trace levels below the established reporting 

level for the residue. DCPA and Metolachlor represented the majority of detections with 48% and 18% of 

all residues detected respectively. The frequency of DCPA detections is consistent with previous 

monitoring in areas of high DCPA use (2007 Water Quality report). 

Summary: 2009 Surface Water Monitoring Well Results 

 

37 locations sampled, 47 samples, 23 locations with detections (44 total 

detections: 19 with quantified detections, 25 with detections below 

reporting level) 

 Reference Levels (RL) 

Compound Type 

# of 

Detects* 

Mean 

Level 

Detected 

Highest 

Level 

Detected 

% of 

RL 

(>=5%)

EPA DW 

Standard 

(MCL) 

EPA HAL 

(Life-time) 

EPA Aquatic 

Life 

Benchmarks 

2,4-D H 2 1.35 ug/l 1.4 ug/l - 0.07 mg/l - 932 ug/l 

Acetachlor H 1 - 0.39 ug/l 27% - - 1.43 ug/l 

Atrazine H 1 - 0.78 ug/l 78% 0.003 mg/l - 1.0 ug/l 

Bentazon H 1 - 1.9 ug/l - - 0.2 mg/l 4,500 ug/l 

Bifenthrin I 1 - 0.22 ug/l - - - - 

Chlorthal-dimethyl 

(DCPA) H 5 0.99 ug/l 1.9 ug/l - - 0.07 mg/l >11,000 ug/l 

Dicamba H 2 0.74 ug/l 0.97 ug/l - - 4.0 mg/l 61 ug/l 

Dichlorvos I 1 - 0.21 ug/l - - - - 

Fluridone AH 1 - 3.6 ug/l - - - - 

Metolachlor H 1 - 0.35 ug/l 35% - 0.7 mg/l 1.0 ug/l 

Propiconazole F 3 0.87 ug/l 1.3 ug/l - - - 93 ug/l 

 19 

 
* quantified detections 

H = Herbicide I = Insecticide AH = Aquatic Herbicide F = Fungicide 

Pesticide Residue Quantified 

Detections 

Detections below 

Reporting Levels

Total Percent of Total 

Detections 

2, 4-D 2 0 2 4.5% 

Acetachlor 1 0 1 2.3% 

Atrazine 1 1 2 4.5% 

Bentazon 1 0 1 2.3% 

Bifenthrin 1 0 1 2.3% 

Chlorthal-dimethyl 

(DCPA) 

5 16 21 47.7% 

Dicamba 2 1 3 6.8% 

Dichlorvos 1 0 1 2.3% 

Fluridone 1 0 1 2.3% 

Metolachlor 1 7 8 18.2% 

Propiconazole 3 0 3 6.8% 

 19 25 44 

 

The analytical results indicating >5% of a reference value were single samples. Further sampling should 

refine the occurrence at such levels. No detection provided an exceedance of reference levels. 

Fluridone’s detection is interesting as it is an aquatic herbicide applied under permit from the NJDEP, 

Pesticide Control Program. Areas of fluridone use are scheduled for additional sampling in 2010 in order 

to determine its overall occurrence.