DETERMINATION OF ORGANOCHLORINE PESTICIDES IN WATER AND SEDIMENT AT THE ESTUARY AREA OF HAN RIVER, DA NANG

Abstract

    Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) are widely used in agriculture since the late 1980s.The use of OCPs have been officially banned in Vietnam in 1995. However, due to highbioaccumulation potential, recent investigations have found the occurrence of OCPs inenvironmental samples such as water, sediment, sludge ... In this study, concentrations ofOCPs such as DDT and its metabolites, HCB, HCHs, aldrin, dieldrin and heptachlor weredetermined in water and sediment samples collected at the estuary area of the Han River,Danang during 2013 - 2014. Concentrations of some OCPs ranged from 0,04 μg/l to 0,2μg/lin water and from 3,1 μg/kg to 87,2 μg/kg dry wt. in sediment samples. There is clearseasonal variation in water samples with higher levels of OCPs in rainy season as comparedto dry season. However, the accumulation of OCPs in surface sediments did not changesignificantly between the sampling periods.