Distribution of Persistent Organic Pollutants in Urban Aquatic Systems

Abstract

The distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and organochlorine pesticides in the water and sediments of two urban aquatic bodies has been studied. The total PAHs concentration in the water of the lakes and the river ranged from 4.85 to 18.2 ng mL-1 and 0.29 to 46.2 ng mL-1, respectively. The profile of individual PAHs in the water of both the aquatic systems is similar but different in sediments. The total PAHs concentration in sediments ranged from 952 to 5353 ng g-1 and 649 to 7910 ng g-1 for the lakes and river, respectively. The maximum pesticide concentrations in water and sediments of the lakes were 4.12 (aldrin), 2.26 (endrin), 6.17 (pp'-DDT), 5.98 ng mL-1 and 167 (aldrin), 124 (endrin), 513 (pp'-DDT), 349 ng g-1, respectively. The aldrin and endrin were absent at all the sites of the Yamuna. The maximum concentration of pp'-DDT and &agr-endosulfan in river water was 3.37 ng mL-1 and 3.55 ng mL-1 and in sediments 525 ng g-1 and 194 ng g-1, respectively. The possible ecotoxicological effects of OCPs on aquatic environment have also been discussed.