Occurrence and distribution of organochlorine pesticides - lindane, p,p'-DDT, and heptachlor epoxide - in surface water of China.
Persistent organochlorine pesticides pollutants (OCPs) have been reported to occur at relatively high concentrations in some Chinese waters. In order to map the distribution of organochlorine pesticides in the surface water throughout China, samples were collected from over 600 sites in seven major river basins and three main internal rivers drainage areas during 2003 and 2004. The surface water samples were analyzed for the representative organochlorine pesticides contaminants including lindane (gamma-HCH), p,p'-DDT and heptachlor epoxide. In general, the most frequently detected compound was lindane, being detected in 83.9% of samples (mean=31.3 ng/l; range <0.17-860 ng/l), and the highest concentration was present in the Yellow River basin. p,p'-DDT was detected in 63.1% of the samples collected (mean=14.6 ng/l; range <0.14-368 ng/l) with the highest concentration present in the Huaihe River basin. Heptachlor epoxide was detected in only 9.3% of water samples (range <0.11-10 ng/l). Measured concentrations for the three compounds were low and rarely exceed the environment quality standard for surface water of China. Lindane was more frequently detected at much higher concentrations in the rivers of northern China compared with those of southern China. The sites with higher concentration of lindane and p,p'-DDT mainly occurred in the Yellow River and Huaihe River basins, so the results of this investigation indicate that the organochlorine pesticide contamination of Yellow River and Huaihe River basins should be of particular concern relative to the other basins. When compared with other regions of the world, it appears that the Chinese surface water is moderately polluted by lindane and p,p'-DDT.
State Key Laboratory of Environmental Aquatic Chemistry, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
Jijun
J
Gao
Linghua
L
Liu
Xiaoru
X
Liu
Jin
J
Lu
Huaidong
H
Zhou
Shengbiao
S
Huang
Zijian
Z
Wang
Philip A
PA
Spear
D002681:China; D003634:DDT / Q000032:analysis* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D006534:Heptachlor Epoxide / Q000032:analysis* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D001556:Hexachlorocyclohexane / Q000032:analysis* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D011786:Quality Control; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics
D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D006534:Heptachlor Epoxide; D001556:Hexachlorocyclohexane; D003634:DDT