OPALE

The OPALE observatory was set up in Guadeloupe and Martinique to respond to current environmental and societal issues: reducing the exposure of people and the environment to agricultural pesticides and reducing the resulting health risks. The main objective of the observatory is to establish the causal links between agricultural practices in the French West Indies and the related environmental impacts. To meet this objective, the OPALE observatory proposes to improve knowledge of the dispersion of pesticides in natural environments and the variability of agricultural practices on the scale of a 'workshop' catchment area.

As part of this observatory, which brings together partners from different institutions (UA, Ifremer, INRAE, CIRAD and BRGM) on the two islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique, environmental measurements are taken at regular intervals in different aquatic compartments to measure and monitor concentrations of pollutants of agricultural origin over time. These measurements are taken in surface water, groundwater and, more recently, in the marine waters of the Pérou (Guadeloupe) and Galion (Martinique) catchment areas.

BOREA (UA) joined the OPALE observatory in 2022 with the integration of monitoring in the marine environment. Measurements are taken quarterly at two marine stations located 500 m and 900 m from the outlet of the river Pérou. Samples are taken to measure concentrations of pollutants in the water column using passive samplers (POCIS), and chlordecone concentrations in marine sediment and plankton.

Funding: PNAC (Plan National d’Action contre la Chlordécone) via les Préfecture de Guadeloupe et de Martinique

Project coordination: 

• Antoine Richard (INRAE) and Lai Ting Pak (CIRAD) for the general coordination
• Charlotte Dromard and Eric Abadie (Ifremer) for the marine part of the coordination