Organochlorine and organophosphorous pesticide residues in ground water and surface waters of Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India.
A survey undertaken in Kanpur, northern India, has shown the presence of high concentrations of both organochlorine and organophosphorous pesticides in the surface and ground water samples. Liquid-liquid extraction followed by GC-ECD was used for the determination of these compounds. Among the various pesticides analyzed, high concentrations of gamma-HCH (0.259 microg/l) and malathion (2.618 microg/l) were detected in the surface water samples collected from the River Ganges in Kanpur. In the ground water samples collected from the various hand pumps located in agricultural and industrial areas, apart from gamma-HCH and malathion, dieldrin was also detected. The maximum concentration values of gamma-HCH, malathion and dieldrin were 0.900, 29.835 and 16.227 microg/l, respectively. Especially, the concentration of malathion was found to be much higher than the EC water quality standards in the ground water samples from industrial area posing a high risk to the common people. Pesticides like DDE, DDT, aldrin, ethion, methyl parathion and endosulfan were not detected in both the surface and ground water samples.
Sankararamakrishnan
Nalini
N
Facility for Ecological and Analytical Testing, 302 Southern Laboratories, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh 208016, India. nalini@iitk.ac.in
Kumar Sharma
Ajit
A
Sanghi
Rashmi
R
D000383:Agriculture; D004026:Dieldrin / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D001556:Hexachlorocyclohexane / Q000032:analysis*; D007194:India; D007221:Industry; D007306:Insecticides / Q000032:analysis*; D008294:Malathion / Q000032:analysis*; D010573:Pesticide Residues / Q000032:analysis*; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D014877:Water Pollution, Chemical / Q000032:analysis; D014881:Water Supply / Q000032:analysis
D007306:Insecticides; D010573:Pesticide Residues; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D001556:Hexachlorocyclohexane; D004026:Dieldrin; D008294:Malathion