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Surface and groundwater pollution by organochlorine compounds in a typical soybean system from the south Pampa, Argentina
- Source :
- Environmental Earth Sciences. 65:481-491
- Publication Year :
- 2011
- Publisher :
- Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2011.
-
Abstract
- Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) use has been restricted or forbidden in Argentina since 1998 and technical endosulfan is the last currently used OCPs on the soybean-wheat production. As they persist in soil for several years after application, OCPs constitute a source of environmental pollution. This work aims to assess OCPs contamination of groundwater (Gw) and streamwater (Sw) in the Quequen Grande River watershed from south Argentinean Pampas in relation to the hydrogeological characteristics. OCPs were analyzed in Sw, Gw, surface bottom sediments, soils and borehole cutting sediments (Cs) by gas chromatograph-electron capture detector. Pesticide distribution in Cs was dependent on the characteristic of the non-saturated zone. Leached pesticides over 3 m in Cs showed the pattern: HCHs = endosulfan > chlordanes > DDTs, and from 3 to 6 m heptachlor was the main group as a consequence of the past use of this compound in the area, mainly on potato crops. Endosulfan reaches Gw during application season as well as during flooding events while a retard effect was observed for Sw. Levels of α- and β-isomers were in certain cases above national (7 ng L−1) and international (3 ng L−1) limits for aquatic biota protection. As the endosulfan sulfate metabolite was present in Gw and Sw and due to its high toxicity, it should be considered in the establishment of water quality criteria for human and environmental protection.
- Subjects :
- Hydrology
Global and Planetary Change
Heptachlor
Soil Science
Geology
Environmental pollution
Pesticide
Pollution
chemistry.chemical_compound
chemistry
Groundwater pollution
Environmental chemistry
Soil water
Environmental Chemistry
Environmental science
Water quality
Groundwater
Endosulfan
Earth-Surface Processes
Water Science and Technology
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 18666299 and 18666280
- Volume :
- 65
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Environmental Earth Sciences
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi...........3da34fc2695a9384d3ed7069a51ba945