| Title: | "Investigation of organochlorine pesticides from the Indus Basin, Pakistan: sources, air-soil exchange fluxes and risk assessment" |
| Author(s): | Sultana J; Syed JH; Mahmood A; Ali U; Rehman MYA; Malik RN; Li J; Zhang G; |
| Address: | "Environmental Biology and Ecotoxicology Laboratory, Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-I-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan. State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China. Electronic address: shahg14@gmail.com. Environmental Biology Laboratory, Department of Plant Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-I-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan. Environmental Biology and Ecotoxicology Laboratory, Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-I-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan. Electronic address: r_n_malik2000@yahoo.co.uk. State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China" |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.07.066 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1879-1026 (Electronic) 0048-9697 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Present study aimed to evaluate the contamination status of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and their associated potential for air-soil exchange and health risks from ecologically important sites of the Indus Basin, Pakistan. Among different OCPs investigated, SigmaDDTs and SigmaHCHs were more prevalent compounds in the agricultural soils and ambient air samples of the study area. The average concentrations for DDTs were found higher at downstream agricultural sites, particularly at Head Panjnad (Soil: 320 ng/g; Air: 743 pg/m(3)) and acting as an ultimate sink of SigmaOCP burden in soils. Spatial distribution patterns inferred ubiquitous distribution of SigmaDDTs in soils and air of the study area. Source diagnostic ratios demonstrated that studied OCPs either are illegally being used in agricultural practices or/and they are residues of past use in the environment. Fugacity fraction model revealed wide variations (ff=0.12-0.94) with 20% of OCPs above equilibrium range and net volatilization of alpha-endosulfan, beta-HCH and o,p'-DDD. Assessment of cancer risks for OCPs indicated a higher cancer risk (CR>1x10(-6)) for the residents of the Indus Basin. According to the available soil quality guidelines, DDTs and HCHs were above the permissible limits and pose a threat to natural habitat and biodiversity of the Indus Basin" |
| Keywords: | "Air Pollutants/*analysis *Environmental Monitoring Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated/*analysis Pakistan Pesticides/*analysis Risk Assessment Soil/chemistry Soil Pollutants/*analysis Agricultural soils Air-soil exchange Indus Basin Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs);" |
| Notes: | "MedlineSultana, Jawairia Syed, Jabir Hussain Mahmood, Adeel Ali, Usman Rehman, Muhammad Yasir Abdur Malik, Riffat Naseem Li, Jun Zhang, Gan eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Netherlands 2014/08/16 Sci Total Environ. 2014 Nov 1; 497-498:113-122. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.07.066. Epub 2014 Aug 14" |
