Abstract
Regular monitoring of air at three different sites, namely, Netaji Nagar, Moti Nagar and Town Hall in the metropolitan city of Delhi, India from June, 1980 to May, 1982 revealed varying levels of residues of DDT and HCH. The concentration of total DDT residues varied from 4 to 232 ng m−3 with an average of 60 ng m−3. Total HCH ranged from 0 to 21797 ng m−3 with an average of 438 ng m−3. Comparatively higher levels of total DDT (73 ng M−3) were detected at Moti Nagar, the site near a DDT factory. The total HCH was highest at Town Hall (931 ng m−3). Normally, higher quantities of the residues of DDT and HCH were detected during October to December. The insecticide residues consisted mainly of p, p′-DDT, p, p′-DDE, o, p′-DDT and p, p′-DDD, α- and γ-HCH. Only p, p′-DDT and p, p′-DDE were detected in all the samples and accounted for the bulk of total DDT. The HCH residues were mainly due to the α-isomer. Generally the concentration of HCH was higher than DDT in the air samples collected during the survey.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Agarwal, H. C., Mittal, P. K., Menon, K. B., and Pillai, M. K. K.: 1986, Water, Air, and Soil Pollution 28, 89.
American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists: 1974, TLVs (threshold limit values) for chemical substances in work room air. J. Occup. Med. 16, 39.
Arthur, R. D., Cain, J. D., and Barrentine, B. P.: 1976, Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 15, 129.
Arthur, R. D., Cain, J. D., and Barrentine, B. P.: 1977, Pestic. Monit. J. 10, 168.
Baldwin, M. K., Bennett, D., and Beynon, K. L.: 1977, Pestic. Sci. 8, 431.
Bidleman, T. F. and Olney, C. E.: 1975, Nature 257, 475.
Bidleman, T. F.: 1981, Atmos. Environ 15, 619.
Bindra, O. S.: 1971, Everyday Sci. 16, 1.
Chan, A. S. Y.: 1972, Analysis of Chlorinated Hydrocarbon Pesticides in Water and Waste Waters: Methods in Use in Water Quality Division, Inland Waters Branch, Department of the Environ. Ottawa, Canada, p. 1.
Eisenreich, S. J., Looney, B. B. and Thornton, J. D.: 1981, Environ. Sci. Technol. 15, 30.
Heesen, T. C., Young, D. R., and McDermott-Ehrlich, D.: 1979, Atmos. Environ. 13, 1677.
Holden, A. V. and Marsden, K. J.: 1969, J. Chromatog. 44, 481.
Kalra, R. L. and Chawla, R. P.: 1980, Analytical methods for Pesticide Residues in Food. Report, Department of Entomology, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, p. 38.
Manual of analytical methods for the analysis of pesticide residues in human and environment samples: 1977, prepared by U.S. Environmental protection agency. Thompson, J. E. (ed.).
Moilanen, K. W. and Crosby, D. G.: 1973, Am. Chem. Soc. 165th National Meeting, Dallas, Texas, April, 1973.
Peakall, D. B.: 1976, Atmos. Environ. 10, 899.
Smetanin, N. I. and Mikhaylova, G. G.: 1970, Pestitis. Klin. Otravlenii 8, 435.
Stanley, C. W., Barney, J. E., Helton, M. R., and Yobs, A. R.: 1971, Environ. Sci. Technol. 5, 430.
Steinwandter, H.: 1976, Chemosphere 5, 245.
Tsapko, V. G. and Os'kuna, V. N.: 1981, Gig. Sanit 46, 64.
Yadav, D. V., Mittal, P. K., Agarwal, H. C., and Pillai, M. K. K.: 1981, Pestic. Monit. J. 15, 80.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kaushik, C.P., Pillai, M.K.K., Raman, A. et al. Organochloride insecticide residues in air in Delhi, India. Water Air Soil Pollut 32, 63–76 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00227684
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00227684