Abstract:
Contaminated water resources by pesticides represent a severe issue affecting
agricultural regions, especially the Kalpitiya area, which practices intensive crop
farming. The analysis uses liquid chromatography - Tenderm Mass Spectrometry (LCMSA4S)
to study pesticide contamination present in water samples obtained from the
Sri Lankan agricultural Hub of Kalpitiya. The investigation included 20 water sample
taken from various locations of Kalpitiya from Tube wells alongside different water
points and surface water bodies obtained from Kandakkuliya, Mampuri, and
Norochchole to determine Acephate, Pymetrozine, Thiamethoxam, Carbendazim, and
Imidacloprid levels, which were compared to the Maximum Residue Limit of 10 ppb.
The analysis compared testing results were compared with the maximum residue limit
established as 10 ppb as an International Regulation Body. Most water samples car:ried
pesticide contaminants below the Maximum Residue Level, except in these isolated
situations. A test sample ofAcephate reached 2.824 ppb as its peak concentration, but
other pesticides showed much lower levels. The pesticide Carbendazim exhibited the
maximum average level of 0.181 ppb in comparison to the lowest concentration
recorded from Pymetrozine, which was 0.051 ppb. According to the one-wayANOVA
results, the differences in pesticide levels between areas were not significant during
statistical comparison (p-values > 0.05) fur all pesticides. The assessed pesticide
concentrations in Kalpitiya water systems remain under the permissible level allowing
agricultural irrigation. This research verifies that water sources in Kalpitiya meet
safety regulations because pesticides remain at trace levels. Periodic water quality
inspections need to be performed to find water contamination risks before water
quality can be protected.
