Report No SR2911

Nov 1991

Alluvial aquifers can be extremely important to rural supplies but their shallow nature means they may be susceptible to pollution by pesticides.

This susceptibility has been assessed on a regional scale for Scotland and Northern Ireland and the areas most likely to be at risk have been identified.

A small area in the Scottish Borders has been studied in more detail by determining the actual pesticide use and collecting groundwater samples for pesticide analysis. No pesticides were found in these samples, but it is considered that further work is required to provide conclusive results.

KEY WORDS

Pesticides, Aquifer, Alluvial, Gravel, Hydrogeology, Scotland, N. Ireland.

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