Organochlorine pesticides in riparian soils and sediments of the middle reach of the Huaihe River: A traditional agricultural area in China

Abstract

Distributions, souces, ecological risks as well as environmental behaviors of 20 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in riparian soils and sediments of the middle reach of the Huaihe River, a traditional agricultural area of China, were investigated. ∑OCPs in riparian soils and sediments were 1.8–63 ng g−1 (mean = 19 ± 12 ng g−1) and 1.2–9.9 ng g−1 (mean = 3.0 ± 1.8 ng g−1), respectively. HCHs were the dominant OCPs in both soils and sediments, while high concentrations of ∑HEPTs and ∑DDTs were also detected in some soils and sediments. No correlations were found between concentrations of OCPs and organic matter contents in both soils and sediments. Based on the source analysis, most OCPs in the riparian soils were mainly from historical residues, such as historical usage of technical HCH, DDT, chlordane and endosulfan. OCPs in sediments were influenced not only by surface runoff by also by other factors, e.g. in-situ contamination (DDT-containing antifouling paints in ships) and/or hydraulic transport from some tributaries. Some never-used OCPs, such as heptachlor and aldrin, were widely detected in soils and sediments. This might be attributed to some unknown usages or long-range atmospheric transport of them from other source regions. Ecological risk analysis suggested that DDTs and HCHs in soils would not lead to an adverse effect on soil ecological environment as well as agricultural production, and OCP residues in sediments also would not pose a threat to the sediment-dwelling organisms.