Organochlorine pesticides in surface sediments and suspended particulate matters from the Yangtze estuary, China

Min Liu*, Shubo Cheng, Dongni Ou, Yi Yang, Hualin Liu, Lijun Hou, Lei Gao, Shiyuan Xu

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

120 Scopus citations

Abstract

Total HCHs' and total DDTs' levels in surface sediments (SS) ranged from 0.5 to 17.5 ng g-1 and from 0.9 to 33.1 ng g-1, averaged 6.0 and 8.2 ng g-1, respectively. Total HCHs' and total DDTs' levels in suspended particulate matters (SPM) varied from 6.2 to 14.8 ng g-1 with a mean value of 12.3 ng g-1 and were from 3.4 to 25.7 ng g-1 with an average of 16.4 ng g-1, respectively. Lindane is the main HCHs' source and continuing use in the Yangtze Delta areas of 'pure' γ-HCH (lindane) rather than technical HCH (a mix of largely α- and some γ-HCH). DDTs in SS are mainly accumulated in history. However, high DDT fractions in SPM are indicators of new input of typical dicofol type DDT from 2002 to 2004. It can be seen that most samples from the Yangtze estuary were in ranges where adverse biological effects are expected, either occasionally or frequently.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)168-173
Number of pages6
JournalEnvironmental Pollution
Volume156
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 2008
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Organochlorine pesticides
  • Sediments
  • Sources
  • Suspended particulate matters
  • The Yangtze estuary, China

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