The fate of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in water from Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake in China

Abstract

The fate of polycyclic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in the water columns from Poyang Lake was studied. The total concentrations of OCPs and PAHs were 19.10–111.78ngL−1 and 5.56–266.1ngL−1, respectively. Among OCPs, endosulfans, chlordanes, and HCHs accounted for 21.96%, 24.6% and 24.65%, and were the predominant pollutants. Results suggested that the main sources of DDTs were residue from technical DDTs and dicofol, as well as antifouling paints for ships, while for HCHs, the main sources included long-distance transmission, agriculture activities and the combination of industrial products with separate lindane in use. As for PAHs, the predominance of lower molecular weight congeners demonstrated that petroleum and the combustion products of fuel oil, as well as other pyrogenic sources, contributed to the main input of PAHs in the Poyang region. The vehicle emissions were mostly from diesel engines. Moreover, HCH, DDT and BaP concentrations in water of Poyang Lake were all below the threshold values.