International Pellet Watch: global monitoring of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in coastal waters. 1. Initial phase data on PCBs, DDTs, and HCHs.
Samples of polyethylene pellets were collected at 30 beaches from 17 countries and analyzed for organochlorine compounds. PCB concentrations in the pellets were highest on US coasts, followed by western Europe and Japan, and were lower in tropical Asia, southern Africa and Australia. This spatial pattern reflected regional differences in the usage of PCBs and was positively correlated with data from Mussel Watch, another monitoring approach. DDTs showed high concentrations on the US west coast and in Vietnam. In Vietnam, DDT was predominant over its metabolites (DDE and DDD), suggesting the principal source may be current usage of the pesticide for malaria control. High concentrations of pesticide HCHs were detected in the pellets from southern Africa, suggesting current usage of the pesticides in southern Africa. This study demonstrates the utility and feasibility of the International Pellet Watch approach to monitor POPs at a global scale.
Ogata
Yuko
Y
Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry (LOG), Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Fuchu, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan.
Takada
Hideshige
H
Mizukawa
Kaoruko
K
Hirai
Hisashi
H
Iwasa
Satoru
S
Endo
Satoshi
S
Mato
Yukie
Y
Saha
Mahua
M
Okuda
Keiji
K
Nakashima
Arisa
A
Murakami
Michio
M
Zurcher
Nico
N
Booyatumanondo
Ruchaya
R
Zakaria
Mohamad Pauzi
MP
Dung
Le Quang
le Q
Gordon
Miriam
M
Miguez
Carlos
C
Suzuki
Satoru
S
Moore
Charles
C
Karapanagioti
Hrissi K
HK
Weerts
Steven
S
McClurg
Tim
T
Burres
Erick
E
Smith
Wally
W
Van Velkenburg
Michael
M
Lang
Judith Selby
JS
Lang
Richard C
RC
Laursen
Duane
D
Danner
Brenda
B
Stewardson
Nickol
N
Thompson
Richard C
RC
D001493:Bathing Beaches / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003634:DDT / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D005843:Geography; D006846:Hydrocarbons, Halogenated / Q000032:analysis*; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis*; D020959:Polyethylene / Q000737:chemistry*
D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D006846:Hydrocarbons, Halogenated; D020959:Polyethylene; D003634:DDT; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls