In this project the researcher will test for variations in the levels of pesticides in the C-14 canal, located in Pompano Beach, Florida, United States of America. The pesticides being tested consist of Atrazine and Simazine - two of the most commonly used pesticides today. A pesticide is a chemical that kills animals and plants unwanted by humans. The United States uses approximately 500,000 tons of these chemicals each year. Pesticides are considered a form of water pollution. A good portion of these pesticides may be hazardous to the environment, having effects on birds, fish, and other wildlife. These pesticides have been known to make their way through ecosystems by many ways.
The C-14 canal, also known as the Cypress Creek Canal and the Pompano Canal, is located in the South Indian River Water control district. The canal is eight and one tenth mileson hundred, forty miles wide (at its widest point) and is on average fifteen feet deep. The C-14 canal provides a home to a wide variety of fish and aquatic wildlife making the water quality a very important concern to the people, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the South Florida Water Management District and, the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission. It is a favorite fishing area for Butterfly Peacock and Large Mouth Bass, Snook and Tarpon. The C-14 canal runs through the cities of Coral Springs, Margate, North Lauderdale, Tamarac, and Coconut Creek, continuing east through the city of Pompano Beach where it feeds into the intercoastal canal, which meets the Atlantic Ocean. The five locations that will be tested are located in the city of Pompano Beach.
Pesticides move through ecosystems such as canals by the means of many ways. "Sources include: agricultural runoff associated with crops and animals feedlots; runoff from weed and pest control activities on roadways, in households, and by government and commercial facilities; direct disposal in storm drains and sewer systems; leaking landfills and hazardous waste sites; erosion of contaminated soils; contaminated groundwater; and fallout from rain, fog, or dust.