Are agricultural pesticides considered a potential source of copper pollution for water?
Yes. According to a Fungicide Benefits Assessment Report by Gianessi and Puffer (Fungicide use in U.S. crop production. Resources for the Future, August, 1992), about 10 million pounds of copper was used in agricultural fungicides across the U.S. in 1991. Much of this copper is sprayed on plants and tends to accumulate in the immediate soil environment, making it susceptible to storm water runoff loss from agricultural operations. About 85 percent of the copper fungicides are used primarily on fruit, vegetable and nut crops in California and Florida.
