Review: long-term trends of pesticide residues in the Danube River Basin

Pesticides play an important role in boosting agricultural production by controlling pests. Pesticides can be algicides, antimicrobials, disinfectants, herbicides, insecticides, molluscicides, pheromones, rodenticides (raticides), and biopesticides. Despite regulations, pesticide pollution remains a threat to human health, food security, and the environment. Pesticides can harm the environment, affecting water quality and biodiversity, and can be toxic to non-target species. This study aimed to assess the impact of pesticide residues on the surface waters of the Danube River through concentrations determined in the period 1995–2023 in the Danube River Basin. In the present study, scientific techniques were used to collect scientific evidence, consulting academic literature databases such as Google Scholar, Science Direct, MDPI, etc. The study also looked at the quantities of pesticides used in the countries of the Danube River Basin compared to agricultural production during 2014–2022. Five compounds from the pesticide class were selected from the literature. This selection was based on the frequency of determination in surface waters from the Danube River Basin. Pesticides have a negative effect on both the aquatic ecosystem and humans, directly affecting the proper functioning of the body. Continuous monitoring of pesticide residues is essential for determining the quality of the Danube water, as well as for biodiversity.