Organochlorine Pesticides and Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) in Sediments and Biota from Four US Arctic Lakes

Abstract

Organochlorine (OC) concentrations in surface sediment, snails (Lymnea sp.), and two freshwater fish species (grayling, Thymallus arcticus; and lake trout, Salvelinus namaycush) from four lakes in the US Arctic were determined. In surface sediment, chlorinated benzenes (including hexachlorobenzene, HCB), and p,p'-DDT were the primary analytes detected (max = 0.7 ng/g dry wt), while individual polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners were always below 0.1 ng/g. A wider range of compounds and higher concentrations were found in lake trout, the top predatory fish species in the same lakes. The concentration ranges for hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), chlordane-related compounds (CHLORs), DDTs, and PCBs in lake trout and grayling were similar to those reported for other arctic freshwater fish (1-100 ng/g wet wt), but one to two orders of magnitude lower than Great Lakes salmonids. Nitrogen isotope analysis confirmed that differences in OC concentrations between grayling and lake trout are explained partly by differences in food web position.

Multi-year monitoring of estuarine sediments as ultimate sink for DDT, HCH, and other organochlorinated pesticides in Argentina

“…Chlorinated pesticides burden in comparison to worldwide previously reported Chlorinated pesticides were reported in estuaries, harbors, near shore sediments, and bays all over the globe (Allen-Gil et al 1997;Caldas et al 1999;Barakat et al 2002;Galanopoulou et al 2005;Amaraneni 2006; Barlas et al 2006;Chi 2009). The major OCs groups systematically reported are the HCHs and DDTs (reference therein); however, according to the regional usage of pesticides, the major OC impact could be due to other OCs.…”

Organochlorine pesticides in soils around Guanting Reservoir, China

“…Total production of HCH and DDT in China 1 3 was approximately 4.9 £ 10 6 and 4.0 £ 10 5 tons, respectively, accounting for 33% and 20% of the total world production, respectively . Although concentrations of OCPs in the environment have decreased considerably during the past 20 years, they can still be detected in various environmental matrices (Allen-Gil et al 1997;Wu et al 1999;Wong and Poon 2003;Zhang et al 2006) and can pose potential risks for humans and other organisms (Woodwell et al 1971;Iwata et al 1994; Lee et al 2001). OCPs can aVect the normal function of the endocrine system of humans and wildlife (Colborn and Smolen 1996).…”

Redistribution of Polychlorinated Biphenyls from a Local Point Source: Terrestrial Soil, Freshwater Sediment, and Vascular Plants as Indicators of the Halo Effect

“…Freshwater lake sediments have been widely used as indicators of atmospherically transported chemicals (Eisenreich et al, 1989;Lockhart et al, 1992;Charles and Smol, 1994;Camarero et al, 1995;Schindler et al, 1995;Allen-Gil et al, 1997;Braune et al, 1999). Lake sediments have been considered particularly useful in monitoring background concentrations of environmental contamination due to their ability to ''focus'' contamination from an area encompassing the lake's entire watershed (Schindler et al, 1995;Muir et al, 1996;Semkin, 1996).…”