Understanding pesticide fate and transport processes in eco-hydrological modelling through temporal parameter sensitivity analysis

Key Points

• Pesticide mobility and persistence govern loss timing and pathways—especially under lateral flow conditions.
• Findings show that surface runoff diminishes the parameter sensitivity of degradation time (DT 50) and organic carbon partition coefficient (K oc).
• Tile drain transport of non-mobile substances is more common than current eco-hydrological models predict.
• Improving how spatial variability in pesticide properties is represented may enhance risk assessment accuracy.

Abstract