Agricultural soil as a potential source of input of organochlorine pesticides into a nearby pond.
A study was conducted in the southeastern region of Buenos Aires province, Argentina, to assess an agricultural soil as a potential source of organochlorine (OC) pesticides for the aquatic biota of a nearby pond. We analyzed gamma-HCH (lindane), still in use, and the following banned compounds: DDT, DDE, DDD heptachlor, heptachlor epoxide, aldrin, dieldrin and endrin in soil, bulrush, grass shrimp and fish using gas chromatography with electron capture detection (GC-ECD). Among the OC pesticides, lindane was most dominant in the soil (32.6 ng/g dry wt in the upper and 173.9 ng/g dry wt in the lower horizon) and bulrush (1.9 pg/g lipid). Macrophyte also accumulated high levels of heptachlor epoxide (1.5 pg/g lipid). Heptachlor, although present in the soil, was below the detection limit in all aquatic biota studied. Its primary degradation product, heptachlor epoxide, was found in both soil and biota samples. DDT was found at low levels in the surface soil (6.8 ng/g dry wt), but at higher concentrations in fish (3.6 pg/g lipid), although levels were still below permissible levels for human consumption. Since most of the compounds were found in both soil and aquatic biota, our study suggests that agricultural soil could be an important source for OC pesticides in the nearby pond.
Miglioranza
Karina S B
KS
Laboratorio de Ecotoxicologia, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Argentina. kmiglior@mdp.edu.ar
González Sagrario
María de los A
Mde L
Aizpún de Moreno
Julia E
JE
Moreno
Victor J
VJ
Escalante
Alicia H
AH
Osterrieth
Margarita L
ML
D000383:Agriculture; D000818:Animals; D001118:Argentina; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D033364:Decapoda / Q000737:chemistry; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005399:Fishes; D020387:Food Chain; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; D007306:Insecticides / Q000032:analysis*; D006109:Poaceae / Q000737:chemistry; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; D007306:Insecticides; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical