Organochlorine pesticides in the surface water and sediments from the Peacock River Drainage Basin in Xinjiang, China: a study of an arid zone in Central Asia

Abstract

Fourteen surface water and nine surface sediment samples were collected from the Peacock River and analyzed for organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) by gas chromatograph-electron capture detector (GC-ECD). All the analyzed organochlorine pesticides, except o,p'-DDT, were detected in sediments from the Peacock River; but in the water samples, only β-HCH, HCB, p,p'-DDD, and p,p'-DDT were detected at some sites. The ranges for total OCPs in the water and sediments were from N.D. to 195 ng l( - 1) and from 1.36 to 24.60 ng g( - 1), respectively. The only existing HCH isomer in the water, β-HCH, suggested that the contamination by HCHs could be attributed to erosion of the weathered agricultural soils containing HCHs compounds. Composition analyses showed that no technical HCH, technical DDT, technical chlordanes, endosulfans, and HCB had been recently used in this region. However, there was new input of γ-HCH (lindane) into the Peacock River. The most probable source was water flowing from Bosten Lake and/or agricultural tailing water that was returned directly into the Peacock River. DDT compounds in the sediments may be derived mainly from DDT-treated aged and weathered agricultural soils, the degradation condition was aerobic and the main product was DDE. HCB in the sediment might be due to the input from Bosten Lake and the lake may act as an atmospheric deposition zone. There was no significant correlation between the concentrations of OCPs (including ∑HCH, ∑DDT, chlordanes, endosulfans, HCB and total OCPs) and the content of fine particles (<63 μm). The concentrations of OCPs were affected by salinity.

Assessment of organochlorine pesticides and plasticisers in the Selangor River basin and possible pollution sources

“…Concentrations of OCPs detected in this study is comparable with concentrations detected at Wuhan Reach, Yangtze River (0.46-2.72 ng/L of total DDTs) (Tang et al, 2007) but lower than the concentrations detected at Peacock River Drainage Basin, China (up to 195 ng/L of total OCPs) (Chen et al, 2011) and in the Indo-Gangetic plain which has a history of extensive pesticide use (2,630-3,720 ng/L of total DDTs) (Singh et al, 2007).…”

Sources, concentrations and risk factors of organochlorine pesticides in soil, water and sediment in the Yellow River estuary

“…∑HCH concentrations of the 29 surface water samples were higher than those in Peacock River, Xin Jiang Province (nd-19.00 ug/L) (Chen et al, 2011) and Huaihe River (0.47-6.13 ug/L) (Feng et al, 2011), while lower than those in the Yangtze River (0.55-28.07 ug/L) (Tang et al, 2008), Qiantang River (0.74-543.1 ug/L) (Gong et al, 2004a,b), Nestos River, Greece (nd-68.00 ug/L) (Golfinopoulos et al, 2003) and much lower than those in the Gomti River, India (0.02-4846.00 ug/L) (Malik et al, 2007) (Table 4). ∑DDT concentrations in surface water samples were higher than that in Ebro River, Spain (3.40 ug/L) (Fernandez et al, 1999), while lower than those in the Yangtze River (nd-16.71 ug/L) (Tang et al, 2008), Huaihe River (4.44-33.59) (Feng et al, 2011) and Nestos River, Greece (nd-64.00 ug/L) (Golfinopoulos et al, 2003), and much lower than those in the Qiantang River (nd-204.1 ug/L) (Zhou et al, 2006), Gomti River, India (0.20-4578.00 ug/L) (Malik et al, 2007), and Kucuk Menderes River, Turkey (72-120 ug/L) (Turgut, 2003).…”

Spatial and temporal variations of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in water and sediments from Honghu Lake, China

“…In the present study, the following standard compounds were included: α-HCH, β-HCH, γ-HCH, δ-HCH, p,p′-DDE, p,p′-DDD, o,p′-DDT, p,p′-DDT, α-chlordane (cis), and γ-chlordane (trans). The detailed description of the procedure was given by Gong et al (2007) and Chen et al (2011).…”