Occurrences, Potential Sources and Risk Impacts of Organochlorine Pesticides in the main urban Soil of Changchun, Northeast China: a case study

Abstract

48 surface soil samples from the main urban areas in Changchun, Northeast China were analyzed for 18 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) with the aim of elucidating their contamination status, distribution characteristics, influencing factors, and potential risks in this urban region. The total concentrations of OCPs ranged from 15.63 to 92.79 ng/g, with the geomean of 36.46ng/g. HCHs, DDTs, and Chlordanes were the most dominant OCPs, with γ-HCH and p,p'-DDT being the predominant isomer. Higher concentrations of OCPs mainly concentrated in the northeast and southwest of Changchun city and the artificial influences contributed to the fate of OCPs in the soils. The residues of OCPs were mainly derived from the historical application of the technology DDT, dicofol, and lindane. Pearson’s correlation analysis indicated that TOC was a key factor controlling OCPs accumulation. The data analysis based on the soil quality guidelines (SQGs) suggested that the presence of DDTs, lindane, and heptachlor may pose a certainly toxic ecological threat to the soil organisms. The evaluation results of incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) showed that the cancer risk of OCPs to the posed population was low, while some specific locations with high OCPs residues ought to be a cause for concern.