title: The source of DDT and its metabolites contamination in Turkish agricultural soils.
abstract: The concentration and impact of 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)-ethane (DDT) and its metabolites (DDE: 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethylene) on the environment was expected to decrease after its ban in the mid-1980s. Unfortunately, DDT contamination via its presence as an impurity in dicofol (2,2,2-trichloro-1,1-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethanol) has led to a new source of contamination. This is particularly true especially in cotton production in Söke Plain, Turkey, where difocol-based pesticides are being used. The aim of this research was to investigate the extent and source of DDT contamination in cotton soils. Söke Plain soil samples were collected from 0-30, 30-60, and 60-90-cm depth and analyzed by GC/MS/MS. o,p'-DDT and p, p'-DDE were detected at 16.2 % and 17.6 % of the sites in the 0-30-cm depth of soils. In the 30-60 cm, p, p'-DDT (14.9 %), o, p'-DDE (8.1 %) and p, p'-DDE (2.7 %) were found in soil samples, and p, p'-DDT was the most prevalent with 9.5 % of the sampling sites. The dominant source of DDT particularly in the 60-90-cm depth was due to historic use of DDT. The presence of p, p'-DDE, o, p'-DDE and p,p'-DDT in the topsoil was attributed to recent dicofol applications.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Agriculture, Adnan Menderes University, 09100 Aydin, Turkey. cturgut@adu.edu.tr
authors.forename: Cafer
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Turgut
authors.forename: Teresa J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Cutright
authors.forename: Serhan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mermer
authors.forename: Levent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Atatanir
authors.forename: Nalan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Turgut
authors.forename: Melis
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Usluy
authors.forename: Oktay
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Erdogan
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D003634:DDT / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010575:Pesticides / Q000032:analysis*; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D014421:Turkey
chemical_list: D010575:Pesticides; D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D003634:DDT