Preliminary findings indicate that in Georgia, a greater number of pesticides are present in water from urban watersheds, generally at higher concentrations, and for a greater part of the year than in water from agricultural watersheds. However, several insecticides present in urban watersheds were at concentrations thought to adversely affect aquatic life.
Most pesticides are man-made chemicals.
Pesticides present in streams, even at very low concentrations, can make the water unsuitable for human consumption or render it toxic to aquatic organisms. This pamphlet summarizes preliminary information from that investigation. Water samples were collected weekly from March 1993 through April 1994 at an urban watershed in Metropolitan Atlanta and an agricultural watershed in southwest Georgia. The USGS National Water Quality Laboratory analyzed the samples for 84 pesticides commonly used throughout the United States. Many of these pesticides are used for weed and insect control in the ACF River basin.