Occurrence of herbicides, nitrite plus nitrate, and selected trace elements in ground water from northwestern and northeastern Missouri, July 1991 and 1992

The U.S. Geological Survey and the Missouri Department of Health collected water samples for analysis of nitrite plus nitrate and herbicides from rural domestic wells in northwestern and northeastern Missouri in 1991 and 1992. In July 1991, samples were collected from 130 wells in Caldwell, Clinton, Daviess, Gentry, and Nodaway Counties in northwestern Missouri. Nitrite plus nitrate concentrations as nitrogen ranged from less than 0.05 to 63 milligrams per liter. Nitrite plus nitrate concentrations exceeded the State drinking-water standard of 10 milligrams per liter in water samples from 28 wells. One or more of the herbicides--alachlor, atrazine, cyanazine; metribuzin, metolachlor, and trifluralin--were detected at concentrations greater than or equal to 0.05 micrograms per liter in 19 samples. Atrazine was detected in water samples from 16 wells. In July 1992, water samples were collected from 147 wells in Audrain, Clark, Lewis, Monroe, Scotland, and Shelby Counties in northeastern Missouri. Nitrite plus nitrate as nitrogen concentrations in samples ranged from less than 0.05 to 60 milligrams per liter and exceeded 10 milligrams per liter in samples from 28 wells. One or more of the herbicides-alachlor, atrazine, cyanazine, metribuzin, and metolachlor-were detected at concentrations greater than 0.10 microgram per liter in water samples from 19 of the wells sampled. Atrazine was detected in water from 18 wells.