title: Historical trends of organochlorine pesticides in a sediment core from the Gulf of Batabanó, Cuba.
abstract: Sediments can be natural archives to reconstruct the history of pollutant inputs into coastal areas. This is important to improve management strategies and evaluate the success of pollution control measurements. In this work, the vertical distribution of organochlorine pesticides (DDTs, Lindane, HCB, Heptachlor, Aldrin and Mirex) was determined in a sediment core collected from the Gulf of Batabanó, Cuba, which was dated by using the (210)Pb dating method and validated with the (239,240)Pu fallout peak. Results showed significant changes in sediment accumulation during the last 40 years: recent mass accumulation rates (0.321 g cm(-2) yr(-1)) double those estimated before 1970 (0.15 g cm(-2) yr(-1)). This change matches closely land use change in the region (intense deforestation and regulation of the Colon River in the late 1970s). Among pesticides, only DDTs isomers, Lindane and HCB were detected, and ranged from 0.029 to 0.374 ng g(-1) dw for DDTs, from<0.006 to 0.05 ng g(-1) dw for Lindane and from<0.04 to 0.134 ng g(-1) dw for HCB. Heptachlor, Aldrin and Mirex were below the detection limits (∼0.003 ng g(-1)), indicating that these compounds had a limited application in the Coloma watershed. Pesticide contamination was evident since the 1970s. DDTs and HCB records showed that management strategies, namely the banning the use of organochlorine contaminants, led to a concentration decline. However, Lindane, which was restricted in 1990, can still be found in the watershed. According to NOAA guidelines, pesticides concentrations encountered in these sediments are low and probably not having an adverse effect on sediment dwelling organisms.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Estudios Ambientales de Cienfuegos, AP 5, Ciudad Nuclear, Cienfuegos, Cuba. Electronic address: carlos@ceac.cu.
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Alonso-Hernández
authors.affiliation: International Atomic Energy Agency - Marine Environment Laboratories, 4, Quai Antoine 1er, MC 98000, Monaco.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tolosa
authors.affiliation: Centro de Estudios Ambientales de Cienfuegos, AP 5, Ciudad Nuclear, Cienfuegos, Cuba.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mesa-Albernas
authors.affiliation: Centro de Estudios Ambientales de Cienfuegos, AP 5, Ciudad Nuclear, Cienfuegos, Cuba.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Díaz-Asencio
authors.affiliation: Spiez Laboratory, Federal Office for Civil Protection, CH-3700 Spiez, Switzerland; Institute of Radiation Physics (IRA), Lausanne University Hospital, Rue du Grand Pré 1, 1007 Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Corcho-Alvarado
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510 Ciudad de México, Mexico.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Cabeza
mesh_terms: D003462:Cuba; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry*; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated / Q000032:analysis*; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D010575:Pesticides / Q000032:analysis*; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; D010575:Pesticides; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Gulf Batabano, Cuba, Caribbean sea; Organochlorine pesticides; POPs