Low-Level Groundwater Atrazine in High Atrazine Usage Nebraska Counties: Likely Effects of Excessive Groundwater Abstraction

Moses New-Aaron, Olufemi Abimbola, Raheleh Mohammadi, Oluwaseun Famojuro, Zaeema Naveed, Azar Abadi, Jesse E. Bell, Shannon Bartelt-Hunt and Eleanor G. Rogan
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Moses New-Aaron: Department of Environmental Health, Occupational Health and Toxicology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
Olufemi Abimbola: Department of Biological Systems Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583-0726, USA
Raheleh Mohammadi: Department of Epidemiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
Oluwaseun Famojuro: Department of Epidemiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
Zaeema Naveed: School of Population and Public Health, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
Azar Abadi: Department of Environmental Health, Occupational Health and Toxicology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
Jesse E. Bell: Department of Environmental Health, Occupational Health and Toxicology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
Shannon Bartelt-Hunt: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Omaha, NE 68182-0178, USA
Eleanor G. Rogan: Department of Environmental Health, Occupational Health and Toxicology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 24, 1-19

Abstract: Recent studies observed a correlation between estrogen-related cancers and groundwater atrazine in eastern Nebraska counties. However, the mechanisms of human exposure to atrazine are unclear because low groundwater atrazine concentration was observed in counties with high cancer incidence despite having the highest atrazine usage. We studied groundwater atrazine fate in high atrazine usage Nebraska counties. Data were collected from Quality Assessed Agrichemical Contaminant Nebraska Groundwater, Parameter–Elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model (PRISM), and water use databases. Descriptive statistics and cluster analysis were performed. Domestic wells (59%) were the predominant well type. Groundwater atrazine was affected by well depth. Clusters consisting of wells with low atrazine were characterized by excessive groundwater abstraction, reduced precipitation, high population, discharge areas, and metropolitan counties. Hence, low groundwater atrazine may be due to excessive groundwater abstraction accompanied by atrazine. Human exposure to atrazine in abstracted groundwater may be higher than the estimated amount in groundwater.

Keywords: groundwater; atrazine; abstraction; cancers; climate; Nebraska (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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