Hexachlorocyclohexanes, cyclodiene, methoxychlor, and heptachlor in sediment of the Alvarado lagoon system in Veracruz, Mexico

Abstract

Organochlorine pesticides are used in agricultural areas and health campaigns, which reach the coastal environment through rivers, drains, runoffs, and atmospheric transport. In aquatic environments, they are adsorbed by particles of organic matter, depositing themselves in sediments in the bottom of these bodies, in which benthic organisms of commercial interest for human consumption inhabit. The objective of this research was to evaluate the concentration of organochlorine pesticides in sediment from the Alvarado lagoon system in Veracruz, Mexico. In 20 out of 41 sampling sites analyzed, 11 banned organochlorine pesticides were identified, such as hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), lindane, aldrin, dieldrin, and endrin. The highest concentrations were as follows: aldrin: 46.05 ng g-1; β-HCH: 42.11 ng g-1; α-HCH: 38.44 ng g-1; gamma γ-HCH (lindane): 34.20 ng g-1; δ-HCH: 31.61 ng g-1; methoxychlor: 29.40 ng g-1; heptachlor epoxide: 25.70 ng g-1; heptachlor: 24.11 ng g-1; dieldrin: 22.13 ng g-1; endrin: 21.23 ng g-1; endrin aldehyde: 12.40 ng g-1. Concentrations reported are prohibited in international standards. There is a strong need to further evaluate, with scientific studies, the level of concentration reported by impact of compounds widely used in agricultural livestock activities.