Levels and distribution of organochlorine pesticides in various media in a mega-city, China.
As one of China's great metropolises, Taiyuan is generally recognized to be one of the most polluted cities in the world. It is affected by pollution from heavy industries, and from organochlorine pesticides (OCPs). In this study, we measured the concentrations of OCPs in various environmental media in Taiyuan. We measured the levels of OCPs in 15 soil samples and 34 samples of respirable particulate matter (PM) (17 of PM(2.5) and 17 of PM(10)) from urban areas of Taiyuan. Analysis of the composition ratios of OCP residues revealed that dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) were the predominant compounds in soil, PM(2.5) and PM(10). The total DDT concentrations were 1.8-1.0x10(2)ngg(-1) in soil, 6.5-1.0x10(3)pgm(-3) in PM(2.5), and 8.5-1.5x10(3)pgm(-3) in PM(10). The total HCH concentrations were 1.4-45ngg(-1) in soil, 5.2-8.0x10(2)pgm(-3) in PM(2.5), and 9.6-8.7x10(2)pgm(-3) in PM(10). Furthermore, source analysis indicated that there was new input of OCPs at some sites. Finally, analysis of the individual OCPs revealed that new OCP contamination was the major problem in Taiyuan. This study suggests that measures should be taken to reduce the levels of OCP residues in order to improve the environmental quality in Taiyuan.
Fu
Shan
S
State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 2871, Beijing 100085, People's Republic of China.
Cheng
Hang-Xin
HX
Institute of Geophysical and Geochemical Exploration, Chinese Academy of Geological Science, Langfang 065000, China.
Liu
Ying-Han
YH
Institute of Geophysical and Geochemical Exploration, Chinese Academy of Geological Science, Langfang 065000, China.
Xu
Xiao-Bai
XB
State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 2871, Beijing 100085, People's Republic of China. Electronic address: xuxb1006@sina.com.
D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D002681:China; D002947:Cities; D003634:DDT / Q000032:analysis; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D001556:Hexachlorocyclohexane / Q000032:analysis; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated / Q000032:analysis*; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis*; D010573:Pesticide Residues / Q000032:analysis*; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*
D000393:Air Pollutants; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; D052638:Particulate Matter; D010573:Pesticide Residues; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D001556:Hexachlorocyclohexane; D003634:DDT