title: Behaviour of alpha-, beta-, gamma-, and delta-hexachlorocyclohexane in the soil-plant system of a contaminated site.
abstract: The behaviour of the organochlorine pesticide hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) is investigated. The concentrations of alpha-, beta-, gamma-, and delta-HCH isomers were measured in soils, rhizosphere and vegetation in a contaminated area in Galicia (NW Spain). The total concentration of HCH in soils reached values close to 20,000 mgkg(-1). The plants analysed (Avena sativa L., Chenopodium spp., Solanum nigrum L., Cytisus striatus (Hill) Roth, and Vicia sativa L.) accumulated HCH, especially the beta-HCH isomer, in their tissues. The most likely mechanisms of HCH accumulation in plants were sorption of soil HCH on roots and sorption of volatilized HCH on aerial plant tissues. The concentrations of HCH obtained from the bulk and rhizosphere soils of selected plant species suggest that roots tend to reduce levels of the HCH isomers in the rhizosphere. The results reflect the importance of vegetation in the distribution of organochlorine compounds in the soil-plant system.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Edafoloxía e Química Agrícola, Facultade de Bioloxía, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782-Santiago de Compostela, Spain. edrobert@usc.es <edrobert@usc.es>
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Calvelo Pereira
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Camps-Arbestain
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rodríguez Garrido
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Macías
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Monterroso
mesh_terms: D000042:Absorption; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D001556:Hexachlorocyclohexane / Q000737:chemistry*; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D007306:Insecticides / Q000737:chemistry*; D007536:Isomerism; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000378:metabolism; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000378:metabolism; D010944:Plants / Q000378:metabolism*; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000737:chemistry*; D013030:Spain; D014835:Volatilization
chemical_list: D007306:Insecticides; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D001556:Hexachlorocyclohexane