Recent levels of organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls in sediments of the sewer system in Hanoi, Vietnam.
The occurrence, temporal trend, sources and toxicity of PCBs and organochlorine pesticides were investigated in sediment samples from the sewer system of Hanoi City, including the rivers Nhue, To Lich, Lu, Set, Kim Nguu and the Yen So Lake. In general, the concentrations of the pollutants followed the order DDTs>PCBs>HCHs (beta-HCH)>HCB. However, the pollution pattern was different for the DDTs and PCBs when the sampling locations were individually evaluated. The concentrations of the DDTs, PCBs, HCHs, and HCB ranged from 4.4 to 1100, 1.3 to 384, <0.2 to 36 and <0.2 to 22 ng/g d.w., respectively. These levels are higher than at any other location in Vietnam. Compared to measurements from 1997, the DDTs, PCBs, beta-HCH and HCB levels show an increasing trend with DDT/DDE ratios, indicating very recent inputs into the environment although these persistent compounds are banned in Vietnam since 1995.
Hoai
Pham Manh
PM
CETASD, Research Center for Environmental Technology and Sustainable Development, Hanoi University of Science, 334 Nguyen Trai Street, Hanoi, Vietnam.
Ngoc
Nguyen Thuy
NT
Minh
Nguyen Hung
NH
Viet
Pham Hung
PH
Berg
Michael
M
Alder
Alfredo C
AC
Giger
Walter
W
D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis*; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated / Q000032:analysis*; D010575:Pesticides / Q000032:analysis*; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis*; D012722:Sewage / Q000032:analysis*; D014744:Vietnam
D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; D010575:Pesticides; D012722:Sewage; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls