Summary
Water was sampled from a tributary of the Miramichi River of New Brunswick before, during, and up to two years after the final operational application of DDT to this area of forest. Gas chromatographic analysis of petroleum ether extracts of the water showed that only during and for a few hours after actual spray application did the DDT concentration in the stream exceed a steady background level of 0.5 ppb. pp 'DDT (<17 ppb.), and this DDT flush occurred mainly as a surface film associated with the formulating oil. Bottom sediments, extracted with hexane-acetone (2/1) for chromatographic analysis, showed a downstream dilution gradient of DDT residue from tributary to estuary, and these averaged only 12.5 per cent of the DDT concentration found in the soils of surrounding forests. Much of the pp' DDT applied in the original technical spray was decomposed to DDE and DDD in the bottom sediments of forest streams.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
MACDONALD, D.R., National Conference on Pollution and Our Environment, Paper B17-2, Montreal, P.Q. (1966).
MACDONALD, J.R., Canada Fisheries Resource Development Branch Progress Report 1, Halifax, N.S. (1968).
FLIEGER, B.W., Pulp and Paper, Canada,69, 91–96 (1968).
HOPEWELL, W.W., Canada Department of Forestry, Chemical Control Section, Ottawa, Ontario. Interim Reports 1962-1,2,4.
FETTES, J.J., Pulp and Paper, Canada,69, 99–105 (1968).
COLE, H., BARRY, D., FREAR, D.E.H., BRADFORD, A., Bull. Env. Contam. and Tox.,2, 127–146 (1967).
YULE, W.N., Bull. Env. Contain. and Tox. (in press).
MORLEY, H.V., CHIBA, M., J. Assoc. Offic. Agr. Chemists,47, 306–310 (1964).
HOLDEN, A.V., Ann. appl. Biol.,50, 467–477, (1962).
FAUST, S.D., SUFFET, I.H., Residue Reviews,15, 44–116 (1966).
YULE, W.N., COLE, A.F.W., Proceedings of the Fourth International Agricultural Aviation Congress, Kingston, Ontario, 1969 (in press).
GRANT, C.D., BROWN, A.W.A., Can. Ent.,99., 1040–1050 (1967).
SPRAGUE, J.B., Can. Ent.,100, 279–284 (1968).
WEBB, F.E., MACDONALD, D.R., RENAULT, T.R., Canada Department Agriculture, Forest Biology Lab., Fredericton, N.B., Interim Report 1958-4.
WOODWELL, G.M., Scientific American,216, 24–31 (1967).
MACDONALD, D.R., DUFFY, J.R., Canada Forestry Internal Report M-27, Fredericton, N.B. (1968).
BREIDENBACH, A.W., GUNNERSON, C.G., KAWAHARA, F.K., LICHTENBERG, J.J., GREEN, R.S., Public Health Report,82, 139–156 (1967).
MISKUS, R.P., BLAIR, D.P., CASIDA, J.E., J. Agr. Food Chem.,13, 481–483 (1965).
SPENCER, D.A., Pesticides Monitor J.,1 (2), 54–57 (1967).
METCALF, R.L.,Organic Insecticides, Interscience, London and N.Y., 392 pp. (1955).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Presently on study leave at Rutgers University, N.J., U.S.A.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Yule, W.N., Tomlin, A.D. DDT in forest streams. Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 5, 479–488 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01539975
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01539975