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A review of the pesticide MCPA in the land‐water environment and emerging research needs
Morton, Phoebe A. Fennell, Chris Cassidy, Rachel Doody, Donnacha Fenton, Owen Mellander, Per-Erik Jordan, Phil
Morton, Phoebe A.
Fennell, Chris
Cassidy, Rachel
Doody, Donnacha
Fenton, Owen
Mellander, Per-Erik
Jordan, Phil
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2019-12-03
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Morton, PA, Fennell, C, Cassidy, R, et al. A review of the pesticide MCPA in the land‐water environment and emerging research needs. WIREs Water. 2020; 7:e1402. https://doi.org/10.1002/wat2.1402
Abstract
Due to its high solubility and poor adsorption to the soil matrix, the postemergence
herbicide 2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid (MCPA) is susceptible
to transport into surface and groundwater bodies, where it can result in
compromised water quality and breaches of legislative standards. However,
there is still poor understanding of catchment scale dynamics and transport,
particularly across heterogeneous hydrogeological settings. While it is known
that MCPA degrades under aerobic conditions, negligible breakdown can
occur in anaerobic environments, potentially creating a legacy in saturated
soils. Fast runoff pathways post application are likely transport routes, but the
relative contribution from the mobilization of legacy MCPA from anaerobic
zones has yet to be quantified, making the delineation of MCPA sources
encountered during monitoring programs challenging. While ecotoxicological
effects have been examined, little is known about the interaction of MCPA
(and its degradation products) with other pesticides, with nutrients or with colloids,
and how this combines with environmental conditions to contribute to
multiple stressor effects. We examine the state of MCPA knowledge, using case
study examples from Ireland, and consider the implications of its widespread
detection in waterbodies and drinking water supplies. Research themes
required to ensure the sustainable and safe use of MCPA in an evolving agricultural,
social and political landscape are identified here. These include the
need to identify mitigation measures and/or alternative treatments, to gain
insights into the conditions governing mobilization and attenuation, to map
pathways of migration and to identify direct, synergistic and antagonistic ecotoxicological
effects.