WATER-QUALITYASSESSMENTOFTHEPOTOMACRIVERBASIN: ANALYSISOFAVAILABLEPESTICIDEDATA,1972-90 PENNSYLVANIA POTOMACRIVER BASIN MARYLAND WEST VIRGINIA D.C. VIRGINIA U.S.GEOLOGICALSURVEY Water-ResourcesInvestigationsReport97-4051 NationalWater-QualityAssessment(NAWQA)Program Cover. MapshowingtheNationalWater-QualityAssessment(NAWQA)Programstudyunits throughouttheUnitedStates. WATER-QUALITYASSESSMENTOFTHEPOTOMACRIVERBASIN: ANALYSISOFAVAILABLEPESTICIDEDATA,1972-90 ByHumbertZappiaandGaryT.Fisher U.S.GEOLOGICALSURVEY Water-ResourcesInvestigationsReport97-4051 Preparedaspartofthe NationalWater-QualityAssessment(NAWQA)Program Baltimore,Maryland 1997 U.S.DEPARTMENTOFTHEINTERIOR BRUCEBABBIT,Secretary U.S.GEOLOGICALSURVEY GordonP.Easton,Director Foradditionalinformationwriteto:Copiesofthisreportcanbepurchasedfrom: DistrictChiefU.S.GeologicalSurvey U.S.GeologicalSurveyBranchofInformationServices 8987YellowBrickRoadBox25286 Baltimore,MD21237Denver,CO80225-0286 CONTENTS Abstract............................................................................................................................................... 1 Introduction......................................................................................................................................... 2 Purpose and scope.................................................................................................................. 2 Description of the Potomac River Basin ............................................................................... 3 Acknowledgments ................................................................................................................. 5 Analysis of available pesticide data in the Potomac River Basin....................................................... 5 Pesticide use in the Potomac River Basin.............................................................................. 7 Availability of pesticide data................................................................................................. 9 Surface water and bottom material........................................................................... 9 Ground water ............................................................................................................ 9 Biological tissue ....................................................................................................... 13 Occurrence and distribution of selected pesticides................................................................ 16 Surface water and bottom material........................................................................... 19 Ground water ............................................................................................................ 34 Fish tissue ................................................................................................................. 42 Whole fish ................................................................................................... 42 Fish fillets .................................................................................................... 53 Evaluation of existing pesticide data coverage...................................................................... 65 Surface water and bottom material........................................................................... 65 Ground water ............................................................................................................ 69 Fish tissue ................................................................................................................. 70 Multimedia data evaluation ...................................................................................... 71 Summary and conclusions .................................................................................................................. 72 References........................................................................................................................................... 75 Appendix............................................................................................................................................. 79 A. Selected standards and criteria for pesticides in water, bottom material, and fish tissue ...................................................................................... 80 FIGURES 1. Map showing location of major rivers, and physiographic divisions in the Potomac River Basin..................................................................... 4 2. Map showing general land use/land cover in the Potomac River Basin ....................................................................................................................... 6 3.-19. Maps showing locations of: 3. Sampling sites for pesticides in surface water, bottom material, or both, in the Potomac River Basin................................................................................................. 10 4. Counties in the Potomac River Basin....................................................................... 11 5. Sampling sites for pesticides in wells and springs in the Potomac River Basin...........................................................................................................................12 6. Sampling sites for pesticides in fish tissue in the Potomac River Basin....................15 7. Sampling sites where dieldrin was analyzed and reported in bottom material in the Potomac River Basin................................. 35 Contents iii FIGURES--Continued 8. Sampling sites where chlordane and related compounds were analyzed and reported in bottom material in the Potomac River Basin .............................................................................................. 36 9. Sampling sites where DDD, DDE, or DDT were analyzed and reported in bottom material in the Potomac River Basin .................37 10. Sampling sites where chlordane was analyzed and reported in whole-fish tissue in the Potomac River Basin................................52 11. Sampling sites where DDT was analyzed and reported in whole-fish tissue in the Potomac River Basin...............................54 12. Sampling sites where dieldrin was analyzed and reported in whole-fish tissue in the Potomac River Basin...............................55 13. Sampling sites where BHC was analyzed and reported in whole-fish tissue in the Potomac River Basin...............................56 14. Sampling sites where heptachlor was analyzed and reported in whole-fish tissue in the Potomac River Basin...............................57 15. Sampling sites where chlordane was analyzed and reported in fish-fillet tissue in the Potomac River Basin.................................63 16. Sampling sites where DDT was analyzed and reported in fish-fillet tissue in the Potomac River Basin........................................64 17. Sampling sites where dieldrin was analyzed and reported in fish-fillet tissue in the Potomac River Basin.................................66 18. Sampling sites where BHC was analyzed and reported in fish-fillet tissue in the Potomac River Basin........................................67 19. Sampling sites where heptachlor was analyzed and reported in fish-fillet tissue in the Potomac River Basin.................................68 TABLES 1. Major pesticides used in the Potomac River Basin, 1982-1987............................................. 8 2. Inventory of sites sampled for pesticides in surface water or bottom material, Potomac River Basin ........................................................................................................... 9 3. Source agencies, numbers, and types of fish-tissue samples collected for analysis for pesticides, Potomac River Basin ........................................................................................14 4. Reporting limits of selected pesticides in whole-fish tissue samples, Potomac River Basin, 1972 to 1990 ...................................................................................................17 5. Reporting limits of selected pesticides in fish-fillet tissue samples, Potomac River Basin, 1972 to 1990 ...................................................................................................18 6. Summary of analyses for selected pesticides in surface-water samples collected by the U.S. Geological Survey, Potomac River Basin.........................................20 7. Concentrations of pesticides equal to or greater than reporting limits in surface- water samples collected by the U.S. Geological Survey, Potomac River Basin, 1972 to 1990.............................................................................................................21 8. Summary of analyses for selected pesticides in surface-water samples collected by agencies other than the U.S. Geological Survey, Potomac River Basin ..........................................................................................................................23 iv Water-Quality Assessment of the Potomac River Basin: Analysis of Available Pesticide Data, 1972–90 TABLES--Continued 9. Concentrations of pesticides equal to or greater than reporting limits in surface- water samples collected by agencies other than the U.S. Geological Survey, Potomac River Basin, 1972 to 1990 ...................................................................................24 10. Summary of analyses for selected pesticides in bottom-material samples collected by the U.S. Geological Survey, Potomac River Basin.........................................25 11.