Project properties
Title Use and risks of pesticides applied in concurrent rice-fish-prawn systems in Bangladesh
Group Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group
Project type thesis
Credits 30-39
Supervisor(s) Andreu Rico and Paul van den Brink
Examiner(s) prof dr M Scheffer
Contact info Edwin Peeters: edwin.peeters@wur.nl
or directly via:
andreu.rico@wur.nl, paul.vandenbrink@wur.nl
Begin date 2013/04/01
End date 2013/12/31
Description The production of rice, fish and prawns in concurrent systems represents an ‘ecologically sound’ alternative to intensive (monoculture) agricultural systems, as allows a maximal re-utilization of nutrients by maintaining ecological integrity and profitability. The recent introduction of pesticides in these agricultural systems to fight rice pests has raised concerns about their potential side-effects on the productivity of the system (as some pesticides pose a high toxicity to the co-cultured fish and prawn species) and human health risks (as farmers are often not well informed about safety measures and prudent use practices). In this research project you will analyse the outcomes of a survey performed between January and May of 2012 on the use of pesticides and agricultural practices in 38 concurrent rice-fish-prawn systems in southern Bangladesh. Based on this data, you will calculate pesticide exposure concentrations in water and sediment of these agricultural systems by using a recently developed pesticide model. Modelled pesticide concentrations will be used to perform a risk assessment for the productivity of these systems, for farmers applying pesticides, and for the local population consuming fish and prawn products.
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