Volunteers Needed for One Day Atrazine Testing

Volunteers Needed for One Day Atrazine Testing in the Mississippi River

Mississippi River – MPCA Flicker Photo

The Nebraska Watershed Network, an organization in conjunction with the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) is launching “Lil’ Miss Atrazine” – a study designed to use crowd sourcing to conduct atrazine tests along the entire Mississippi River all within one day. Atrazine is the second most commonly used herbicide in the U.S., specifically targeting broad leaf weeds. A simple strip test has been designed to test for atrazine at the US EPA’s drinking standard of three parts per billion (ppb) or three micrograms per liter.

Atrazine can be detected in late spring and early summer, due to the time-frame in which it is applied to crops and coinciding with seasonal rains. Because of this, the study will be conducted near June 1, 2014. If the crowd sourcing is successful, UNO hopes this model of data gathering will be used for further studies on indicators or pharmaceuticals in other watersheds.

If you are interested in learning more about this monitoring opportunity, please send an email inquiry to [email protected] or contact Jessica Edwards directly at [email protected]

From corn to beans with atrazine!

Heard that U of M and others will be looking into the sources for that eutraphied dead zone in the Gulf they say gets to be the size of Virginia.
We recently calculated a SUPERTANKER sized load of brown water was going under the Mankato Vet’s Memorial Bridge about every 55 SECONDS! And water depth was been up there at least a couple months before the frost came out of the fields.
Any ideas on how to harvest this water before it soaks
through the pesticides and fertilizer into the field drain tiles and creeks? (We could use those wasted expensive chemicals to feed the planet). And water’s going on the commodities market alongside corn, beans, hogbellies and aluminum beer cans in the next couple of years, they say.

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Volunteers Needed for One Day Atrazine Testing in the Mississippi River
Mississippi River – MPCA Flicker Photo

The Nebraska Watershed Network, an organization in conjunction with the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) is launching “Lil’ Miss Atrazine” – a study designed to use crowd sourcing to conduct atrazine tests along the entire Mississippi River all within one day. Atrazine is the second most commonly used herbicide in the U.S., specifically targeting broad leaf weeds. A simple strip test has been designed to test for atrazine at the US EPA’s drinking standard of three parts per billion (ppb) or three micrograms per liter.

Atrazine can be detected in late spring and early summer, due to the time-frame in which it is applied to crops and coinciding with seasonal rains. Because of this, the study will be conducted near June 1, 2014. If the crowd sourcing is successful, UNO hopes this model of data gathering will be used for further studies on indicators or pharmaceuticals in other watersheds.

If you are interested in learning more about this monitoring opportunity, please send an email inquiry to [email protected] or contact Jessica Edwards directly at [email protected]

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“Evan,

I regret to have to invorm you that our recruitment period for Lil’ Miss Atrazine is over for this year.
We will, however, be repeating the testing next year, and if you don’t mind, we will keep you in our email list, so you can get our newsletter. That way you will be certain to be able to participate follow our activity and participae next year.

Thank you for your interest.
All the best.

Alan

The Nebraska Watershed Network
Department of Biology
College of Arts and Sciences
University of Nebraska at Omaha”

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Transparency Times, May 2014
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency sent this bulletin at 05/22/2014 09:00 AM CDT

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I sent an email in on May 22, the same day the notice was sent out and received a “too late” letter as well.

I suggested to Alan they might put dates in the news releases next year.