Protocol for geographical mapping of pesticide contamination

Pesticide residues in the environment threaten agricultural and human health. Here, we present a framework for mapping and comparing the contamination levels of pesticides across specific environmental compartments in various regions. We describe steps for applying the pesticide residual concentration and assigning a score to regions by calculating the deviation of pesticide concentrations in each region from the overall central tendency. Comparing scores among regions can help environmental agencies identify regions with high pollution scores and implement timely control strategies. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Huang and Li. 1 • Steps for collecting and cleaning global freshwater pesticide concentration data • Procedure for handling non-detects and reshaping data for scoring analysis • Instructions for calculating and mapping contamination scores for countries Publisher’s note: Undertaking any experimental protocol requires adherence to local institutional guidelines for laboratory safety and ethics. Pesticide residues in the environment threaten agricultural and human health. Here, we present a framework for mapping and comparing the contamination levels of pesticides across specific environmental compartments in various regions. We describe steps for applying the pesticide residual concentration and assigning a score to regions by calculating the deviation of pesticide concentrations in each region from the overall central tendency. Comparing scores among regions can help environmental agencies identify regions with high pollution scores and implement timely control strategies.