Skip to main content

Levels and distributions of organochlorine pesticides in the soil–groundwater system of vegetable planting area in Tianjin City, Northern China

Abstract

To study the influence of long-term pesticide application on the distribution of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in the soil–groundwater system, 19 soil samples and 19 groundwater samples were collected from agricultural area with long-term pesticide application history in Northern China. Results showed that the composition of OCPs changed significantly from soil to groundwater. For example, ∑DDT, ∑HCH, and ∑heptachlor had high levels in the soil and low levels in the groundwater; in contrast, endrin had low level in the soil and high level in the groundwater. Further study showed that OCP distribution in the soil was significantly influenced by its residue time, soil organic carbon level, and small soil particle contents (i.d. <0.0002 mm). Correlation analysis also indicates that the distribution of OCPs in the groundwater was closely related to the levels of OCPs in the soil layer, which may act as a pollution source.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

References

  • An, Q., Dong, Y., Wang, H., & Ge, C. J. (2005). Residues and distribution character of organochlorine pesticides in soils in Nanjing area. Acta Scientiae Circumstantiae, 25, 470–474. (In Chinese).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • An, Q., Dong, Y., Wang, H., Wang, X., Wang, M., & Guo, Z. (2004). Organochlorine pesticide residues in cultivated soils, in the south of Jiangsu, China. Acta Pedologica Sinica, 41, 414–419. (In Chinese).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Arias-Estévez, M., López-Periago, E., Martínez-Carballo, E., Smimal-Gándara, J., Mejuto, J. C., & García-RíO, L. (2008). The mobility and degradation of pesticides in soils and the pollution of groundwater resources. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 123, 247–260.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bidleman, T. F., & Leone, A. D. (2004). Soil–air exchange of organochlorine pesticides in the Southern United States. Environmental Pollution, 128, 49–57.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Covaci, A., Hura, C., & Schepens, P. (2001). Selected persistent organochlorine pollutants in Romania. Science of the Total Environment, 280, 143–152.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gaw, S. K., Wilkins, A. L., Kim, N. D., Palmer, G. T., & Robinson, P. (2006). Trace element and ΣDDT concentrations in horticultural soils from the Tasman, Waikato and Auckland regions of New Zealand. Science of the Total Environment, 355, 31–47.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guan, Y. F., Wang, J. Z., Ni, H. G., & Zeng, E. Y. (2009). Organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls in riverine runoff of the Pearl River Delta, China: assessment of mass loading, input source and environmental fate. Environmental Pollution, 157, 618–624.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hao, H., Sun, B., & Zhao, Z. (2008). Effect of land use change from paddy to vegetable field on the residues of organochlorine pesticides in soils. Environmental Pollution, 156, 1046–1052.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jiang, Y. F., Wang, X. T., Jia, Y., Wang, F., Wu, M. H., Sheng, G. Y., et al. (2009). Occurrence, distribution and possible sources of organochlorine pesticides in agricultural soil of Shanghai, China. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 170, 989–997.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kannan, K., Battula, S., Loganathan, B. G., Hong, C. S., Lam, W. H., Villeneuve, D. L., et al. (2003). Trace organic contaminants, including toxaphene and trifluralin, in cotton field soils from Georgia and South Carolina, USA. Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 45, 30–36.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim, J. H., & Smith, A. (2001). Distribution of organochlorine pesticides in soils from South Korea. Chemosphere, 43, 137–140.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kuranchie-Mensah, H., Atiemo, S. M., Palm, L. M. N. D., Blankson-Arthur, S., Tutu, A. O., & Fosu, P. (2012). Determination of organochlorine pesticide residue in sediment and water from the Densu river basin, Ghana. Chemosphere, 86, 286–292.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li, Y. F., Scholtz, M. T., & van Heyst, B. J. (2000). Global gridded emission inventories of α-hexachlorocyclohexane. Journal of Geophysical Research, 105, 6621–6632.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Manz, M., Wenzelm, K. D., Dietze, U., & Schüürmann, G. (2001). Persistent organic pollutants in agricultural soils of central Germany. Science of the Total Environment, 277, 187–198.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Matin, M. A., Malek, M. A., Amin, M. R., Rahman, S., Khatoon, J., Rahman, M., et al. (1998). Organochlorine insecticide residues in surface and underground water from different regions of Bangladesh. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 69, 11–15.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mishra, K., Sharma, R. C., & Kumar, S. (2012). Contamination levels and spatial distribution of organochlorine pesticides in soils from India. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 76, 215–225.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pfaender, F. K., & Alexander, M. (1972). Extensive microbial degradation of DDT in vitro and DDT metabolism by natural communities. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 20, 842–846.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Qiu, J. (2010). China faces up to groundwater crisis. Nature, 466, 308.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Qiu, X., & Zhu, T. (2010). Using the o, p′-DDT/p,p′-DDT ratio to identify DDT sources in China. Chemosphere, 81, 1033–1038.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rissato, S. R., Galhiane, M. S., Ximenes, V. F., de Andrade, R. M., Talamoni, J. L. B., Libânio, M., et al. (2006). Organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls in soil and water samples in the Northeastern part of São Paulo State, Brazil. Chemosphere, 65, 1949–1958.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shegunova, P., Klánová, J., & Holoubek, I. (2007). Residues of organochlorinated pesticides in soils from the Czech Republic. Environmental Pollution, 146, 257–261.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shukla, G., Kumar, A., Bhanti, M., Joseph, P. E., & Taneja, A. (2006). Organochlorine pesticide contamination of ground water in the city of Hyderabad. Environment International, 32, 244–247.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • The People’s Republic of China Ministry of Environmental Protection. (2011). The groundwater pollution prevention and control planning (2011–2020). http://www.zhb.gov.cn/gkml/hbb/bwj/201111/t20111109_219754.htm, October 28, 2011.

  • The People’s Republic of China National Environment Protection Agency, & The People’s Republic of China State Bureau of Technical Supervision. (1996). Soil quality criteria of china. http://kjs.mep.gov.cn/hjbhbz/bzwb/trhj/trhjzlbz/199603/W020070313485587994018.pdf, March 1, 1996.

  • The People’s Republic of China State Bureau of Technical Supervision. (1994). Quality standard for ground water. http://kjs.mep.gov.cn/hjbhbz/bzwb/shjbh/shjzlbz/199410/t19941001_66500.htm, October 1, 1994.

  • US Environmental Protection Agencey. (1986). National recommended aquatic life criteria table. http://water.epa.gov/scitech/swguidance/standards/criteria/current/index.cfm, May 1, 1986.

  • Wang, F., Jiang, X., Bian, Y. R., Yao, F. X., Gao, H. J., Yu, G. F., et al. (2007). Organochlorine pesticides in soils under different land usage in the Taihu Lake region, China. Journal of Environmental Sciences-China, 19, 584–590.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, X., Piao, X., Chen, J., Hu, J., Xu, F., & Tao, S. (2006). Organochlorine pesticides in soil profiles from Tianjin China. Chemosphere, 64(9), 1514–1520.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, L., Dong, L., Shi, S., Zhou, L., Zhang, T., & Huang, Y. (2009). Organochlorine pesticides contamination in surface soils from two pesticide factories in Southeast China. Chemosphere, 77, 628–633.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, C., Liao, X., Li, J., Xu, L., Liu, M., Du, B., et al. (2013). Influence of long-term sewage irrigation on the distribution of organochlorine pesticides in soil-groundwater systems. Chemosphere, 92, 337–343.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was financially supported by the Research Foundation for Talented Scholars of North China University of Water Conservancy and Electric Power, the Scientific Research Foundation of the Higher Education Institutions of Henan Province (Grant No. 16A570001), the National Public Benefit (Environmental) Research Foundation of China (Grant No. 201109009), and the Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University (Grant No. NCET-13-0794).

Author information

Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bei-Dou Xi.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no any actual or potential conflict of interest to this work, including any financial, personal, or other relationships with other people or organizations.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary material 1 (DOC 282 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Pan, HW., Lei, HJ., He, XS. et al. Levels and distributions of organochlorine pesticides in the soil–groundwater system of vegetable planting area in Tianjin City, Northern China. Environ Geochem Health 39, 417–429 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-016-9899-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-016-9899-9

Keywords

  • Vegetable planting base
  • Soil–groundwater system
  • Organochlorine pesticides
  • Distribution
  • Influencing factors