International audience | Juvenile Helix aspersa snails exposed in field microcosms were used to assess the transfer of Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn from forest soils amended with liquid and composted sewage sludge. Zri concentrations and contents were significantly higher in snails exposed to liquid and composted sludge after 5 and 7 weeks of exposure, when compared with control. Trends were less clear for the other metals. Present results show that Zn, among the cocktail of metallic trace elements (MTE) coming from sewage sludge disposal, represents the principal concern for food chain transfer and secondary poisoning risks. The microcosm design used in this experiment was well suited for relatively long-term (about 2 months) active biomonitoring with H. aspersa snails. The snails quickly indicated the variations of MTE concentrations in their immediate environment. Therefore, the present study provides a simple but efficient field tool to evaluate MTE bioavailability and transfer.

The main content of the new European Water Framework Directive is presented. Within its river basin management approach, a special mention of coastal waters status is made. Among the issues at stake are the setting up of river basin management plans, including coastal waters, and water quality assessment system leading to an harmonized definition of quality objectives and their appropriate indicators. The Rhone-Mediterranean-Corsica Water Master Plan, launched in 1996, is considered to be well fitted to this river basin approach and the necessary tools which go with it. It shows up how a river quality assessment system (SEQ) can be adapted to the coastal waters and how it can progressively lead to an efficient set of publishable environmental and performance indicators. Since planning and implementation are devolved to the lowest appropriate level, a close look is then been given at how such a system can work at the local level through different selected case studies on the French Mediterranean coast. In conclusion, some guidelines are drawn up for future initiatives towards integrated coastal area and river basin management.

Ce programme fait partie de l'action structurante AQUAE (2000-2003) entre le Cemagref et l'INRA et a pour objectif de comprendre et quantifier les phénomènes de rétention, de dégradation ou de transfert subis par les produits phytosanitaires entre la parcelle agricole et le milieu aquatique. L'étude porte notamment sur les discontinuités hydrologiques que constituent les fossés et les dispositifs enherbés ou boisés. Ces structures font l'objet de suivis en continu et d'expériences spécifiques, afin d'analyser le devenir des produits phytosanitaires en leur sein, sur deux bassins versants aux caractéristiques différentes : La Jaillière (44) et Roujan (34). Les facteurs déterminant leur efficacité tampon sont étudiés, qu'il s'agisse des conditions hydrométéorologiques, de leurs positions géomorphologiques, des caractéristiques du sol ou de la végétation, et de l'alternance des conditions d'oxydo-réduction. Une typologie de ces différents types de discontinuités est établie sur une grande gamme de bassins versants sur lesquels les équipes participantes travaillent ou ont déjà travaillé. Cette typologie a permis de caractériser les principales situations existantes ou envisageables, afin d'assurer (la généralisation ou l'extrapolation) des résultats obtenus sur les bassins versants expérimentaux. Enfin, une approche de modélisation hydrologique distribuée (le modèle MHYDAS : Modélisation Hydrologique Distribuée des AgroSystèmes) des transferts d'eau et de polluants à l'échelle du versant, intégrant les principaux mécanismes observés sur les discontinuités hydrologiques, est en phase avancée de développement. Les premiers tests du modèle ont permis de simuler les hydrogrammes de crue en différents points du réseau de fossés et les ordres de grandeur des flux de pesticides à l'exutoire du bassin versant. | This program is part of the common research action AQUAE (2000-2003) between Cemagref and INRA. It aims at understanding and quantifying the mechanisms of retention, degradation and transport of pesticides at the field and the catchment scales. The study relates in particular to man-made impact causing hydrological discontinuities such as ditches network and grass and wooded cover zones. Experiments were undertaken on two catchments with different geomorphological and climatic characteristics, La Jaillière (44) and Roujan (34), in order to analyse the contamination of water by pesticides. The factors determining the efficiency of these man-made hydrological discontinuities are extensively studied : hydrometeorological conditions, geomorphological position, soil characteristics; land-use, vegetation cover classes, and the oxydo-reduction conditions. A typology of these various types of discontinuities is established on a great range of catchments, in order to characterise the various experimental situations and to ensure the applicability of the results on un-gauged catchments. Finally, a distributed hydrological modelling approach (the model MHYDAS : Modélisation Hydrologique Distribuée des AgroSystèmes = Distributed Hydrological Modelling of AgroSystems) of water and pollutant transfer, integrating the principal mechanisms observed on hydrological discontinuities in farmed catchments, is conceived and is in an advanced phase of development. The first tests of the model at the catchment scale enable the simulation of hydrograph and pesticides concentrations at various locations of ditches network. Furthermore, it enables the testing of various scenarios of land management and the impact of man-made planning on water and pesticides fluxes.

Le thème principal du XXXIème congrès du Groupe Français des Pesticides était tourné vers le transfert des produits phytosanitaires vers le milieu aquatique et l'atmosphère, le diagnostic de la pollution associée et les solutions correctives. Le présent ouvrage réunit l'ensemble des travaux présentés au cours de ce congrès, dont l'articulation principale reposait sur les thématiques suivantes : l'analyse des résidus de phytosanitaires dans les eaux et diverses matrices solides, les voies de dégradation, les méthodes de diagnostic de la pollution et les solutions correctives, le transfert et la transformation, l'écotoxicologie et la toxicologie des substances phytosanitaires. L'intérêt de ce document est de rassembler une large diversité de contributions de spécialistes en agronomie, pédologie, hydrologie, écotoxicologie, chimie, ainsi que des acteurs des groupes régionaux phytosanitaires, du développement agricole, des responsables des services de la réglementation et de l'industrie de la protection des plantes. | The present document gathers studies that were presented during the congress about. The studies bear on analysis of phytosanitary remnants in water and different solids matrixes, ways of degradation, diagnosis methods for pollution and corrective solutions, transfer and transformation, ecotoxicology and toxicology of phytosanitary substances. It presents works from specialists in agronomy, pedology, hydrology, ecotoxicology, chemistry as well as phytosanitary, farm development, reglementation and plant protection people.

Assessment of main contamination causes in each situation is required to settle action planes that are aimed at decreasing water contamination by. Hence, diagnosis consists in assessing risk of phytosanitary products transfer into an area and finding factors that favour it (CORPEN 2001). Action plane will consist in settling corrective solutions as well as defining priorities according to technique criteria and social, economic and local policies obligations. This document presents some technical aspects of different actions that can limit water contamination after diagnosis. | Malgré l'ampleur des investigations exigées pour leur homologation, les produits phytosanitaires sont susceptibles d'être retrouvés dans les milieux aquatiques, ce qui met en évidence à la fois la difficulté de cerner les risques de transfert de ces molécules et la nécessité de mener conjointement des actions sur le terrain pour limiter la contamination de la ressource en eau. La forte interaction qui existe entre les propriétés de ces substances et les conditions dans lesquelles elles sont employées explique cette difficulté et rend indispensable d'estimer, dans chaque situation, quelles sont les causes dominantes de la contamination. C'est l'objectif du diagnostic qui, dans la perspective qui nous intéresse ici, a pour seul objectif de mettre en place des plans d'actions visant à réduire la contamination de la ressource en eau par les produits phytosanitaires. Il consistera ainsi à estimer les risques de transfert de ces substances dans une zone géographique donnée et à caractériser les facteurs qui le favorisent (CORPEN 2001). Le plan d'action, quant à lui, consistera non seulement à mettre en oeuvre des solutions correctives, mais aussi à définir des priorités, en fonction de critères techniques et des impératifs socio-économiques et politiques locaux. Dans le cadre de cet exposé, nous nous en tiendrons aux seules considérations techniques, destinées à servir de base de décision aux acteurs locaux, seuls à même de prendre en considération les impératifs ci-dessus. Le diagnostic étant orienté par les solutions correctives puisqu'il s'agit d'en évaluer la pertinence et d'en optimiser la mise en oeuvre, nous présenterons tout d'abord les différentes actions possibles pour limiter la contamination des eaux.

A comparison between different existing or simulated BMPs has been carried out through a cost/effectiveness assessment along with the study of their acceptability by farmers on eight European watersheds in a multidisciplinary framework involving eleven research teams. Water quality problems encountered and dealt with in this project for all eight watersheds include: high nitrate loads and concentrations at the outlet of the two western French watersheds associated with dairy production, high loads of phosphorus into lake Vico (Italy) associated with hazelnut plantations, high nitrate concentration in groundwater for two watersheds in Austria and Italy, high sediment loads at the outlet of a second Austrian watershed, acid water associated with artificial drainage of moraine soils in Finland, pesticide contamination in Norway.The comparison of different BMPs for a given watershed is built as a 6 steps framework :step 1 : describing the watershed, the general problematic (including the objective of the different actors) and of the main water quality problems. .step 2 : describing and computing the hydrology. Description of the model used, calibration and validation of the model, definition of critical areas and risky practices, assessment of their impact on total fluxes or concentrations, deduction of proposed BMPs, assessment of the ex ante effectiveness of each BMP.step 3 : describing the economics. Description of the diversity of farms, choice of the model to represent this diversity, results of model implementation (does this model provide an acute description of the statu quo situation ?), assessment of the consequences on introducing BMPs and ex ante cost of this introduction.step 4 : assessing the results of steps 2 and 3 to a cost/efficiency ratio for each BMP.step 5 : interviewing the farmers to assess the acceptability for each BMP.step 6 : comparing of the cost/efficiency ratio and the acceptability to build a selection grid.

Small- and medium-scale mining operations in Guyana have increased significantly since the late 1980s. The majority of these gold mining operations utilize mercury (Hg) amalgamation methods in the recovery process, raising the question as to the significance of Hg inputs to the environment from mining activities. In March and April, 2001, 168 samples were collected from floodplain, sand bar, and channel bed deposits along a 350 km reach of the Mazaruni River and a 160 km reach of the Essequibo River. Distinct trends in the geochemical data suggest that much of the Hg found in the alluvial deposits is related to anthropogenic sources, including (1) Hg concentrations in floodplain, channel bed and sand bar deposits locally exceed background values defined by ferralitic soils; (2) core data reveal that Hg concentrations within floodplain deposits have increased in recent years; and (3) high Hg concentrations along the channels can be attributed to the influx of material from tributaries affected by mining operations, or to mining activities along the rivers. Recent investigations in Amazonia have argued that Hg from amalgamation mining represents a small portion of the total Hg load to riverine systems, the majority coming from the erosion of Hg enriched upland soils within deforested terrain. Geochemical data from the Essequibo and Mazaruni Rivers suggest that Hg from mining may be a more significant source in Guyana where large-scale deforestation is limited. However, it is unclear whether the increased Hg represents the direct input associated with the amalgamation process, or Hg associated with the erosion of soils and sediments that results from activities that accompany mining.