Pesticide Detection Test

Overview

This is a targeted panel, not a broad screen. It uses EPA Method 525.2 to detect nine specific high-priority compounds at parts-per-billion sensitivity: the legacy chlorinated pesticides and herbicides that persist in the environment for decades, plus two plasticizers and one combustion byproduct that commonly travel with them. Atrazine and simazine — the two most frequently detected herbicides in U.S. surface water — are the headline analytes. These compounds are not covered by the Current-Use Pesticide & Fungicide Panel, which runs a different method for chemistry in present-day application.

What problem does this solve for our lake?

Some of the compounds on this panel were banned decades ago and are still being detected, because that is the defining property of legacy contaminants: they do not break down. Hexachlorobenzene and methoxychlor persist in sediment and bioaccumulate in fish long after their last application. Others are still in heavy use. Atrazine is among the most widely applied herbicides in North America and among the most frequently detected chemicals in surface water anywhere near row-crop agriculture. It is persistent, mobile in groundwater, and has documented endocrine-disrupting effects on amphibians at low concentrations. Simazine behaves similarly and is common in both agricultural and residential settings. The nine analytes, and what each signals: - Atrazine (MDL 0.03, RL 0.1 ppb) and Simazine (MDL 0.02, RL 0.07) — triazine herbicides. Detection points to row-crop agriculture, roadside vegetation management, or turf treatment in the watershed. - Alachlor (MDL 0.02, RL 0.2) — an agricultural herbicide, toxic to fish and damaging to aquatic plants. - Methoxychlor (MDL 0.07, RL 0.1) and Hexachlorobenzene (MDL 0.02, RL 0.1) — legacy organochlorines. Both bioaccumulate; methoxychlor mimics estrogen in fish and wildlife. - Hexachlorocyclopentadiene (MDL 0.02, RL 0.1) — a pesticide manufacturing intermediate, acutely toxic to aquatic organisms. - Benzo(a)pyrene (MDL 0.01, RL 0.02) — a carcinogenic combustion byproduct, included here because it co-occurs with the others in runoff. - Bis(2-ethylhexyl) adipate (MDL 0.3, RL 0.6) and Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MDL 0.49, RL 0.6) — plasticizers that leach from plastic, disrupt hormones in aquatic organisms, and persist in sediment. Because these compounds persist, timing matters far less on this panel than on the current-use one. If atrazine is in your watershed, you can find it most of the year.

What's included?

• A complete Legacy Contaminant Panel kit shipped directly to you
• All materials required for clean, contamination-free sample collection
• Step-by-step collection and preservation instructions
• Prepaid 2-day return shipping to our certified partner laboratory
• Analysis by EPA-approved methods at an accredited partner laboratory, with full chain of custody
• Results loaded automatically into your lake's account

What's not included

• Sample collection. You collect the sample; we supply everything you need to do it correctly.
• Boat, dock, or shoreline access to your sampling site
• Depth-profile sampling. This is a single grab sample unless you order multiple kits.
• Ice or a cooler for shipping, which you supply
• Treatment, remediation, or applicator services
• A written management plan. The Boathouse can help you interpret results and decide next steps.
• Current-use pesticides and fungicides. Neonicotinoids, strobilurins, triazoles, carbamates, and organophosphates are on the Current-Use Pesticide & Fungicide Panel, not this one.
• Glyphosate, which requires a dedicated analysis
• The full PAH suite. Only benzo(a)pyrene is included here; the Hydrocarbons Test covers 18 compounds.
• Sediment analysis, where legacy organochlorines concentrate

Requirements

• A sample collected in the container provided, filled completely with no headspace
• Same-day shipment after collection, kept cold
• No plastic contact beyond the containers supplied — the two plasticizer analytes are among the most common laboratory and field contaminants, and casual plastic handling can produce a false detection
• A Plus, Lake Admin, or PRO subscription to have results loaded into your Lake Pulse account
• Questions about site selection, timing, or which test fits your lake? Contact the Lake Pulse Boathouse before you order.