MERCURY CONTAMINATION OF GOLF-COURSES DUE TO PESTICIDE USE

Management practices at golf courses require frequent pesticide applic ations to maintain turf quality under extremely stressful conditions p roduced by heavy traffic. Golf course turf usually consists of only on e or two grass species, allowing disease to thrive and intensifying th e need for pesticide treatments. Despite the persistence and toxicity of mercury and the availability of alternatives, mercurial fungicides are used regularly to combat snow molds, Typhula spp. and Fusarium niv ale. The persistence of mercury presents the potential for accumulatio n in soil as fungicide applications occur over several years. Disturba nce of soils may allow remobilization to occur many years after fungic idal applications have ceased. The strong tendency of mercury to adsor b to soil complexes increases the probability of off-site contaminatio n because pesticides bound to soil particles may be transported to aqu atic systems in surface water runoff and between waterbodies in suspen ded solids (Environment Canada 1985). This is a particular concern at golf courses because many are located in watersheds important to recre ation or groundwater supplies. The proximity of golf courses to aquati c ecosystems and ramifications for future land use decisions warrant f urther examination of the long-term environmental impacts of mercurial pesticide use at these sites. A study of mercury contamination at gol f courses in Atlantic Canada was initiated to determine the extent of the problem, the potential for movement of mercury from application ar eas, and the possibility of contamination of nearby aquatic ecosystems .