Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Accumulation of organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls in sediments, aquatic organisms, birds, bird eggs and bat collected from South India

  • Research Articles
  • Published:
Environmental Science and Pollution Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), DDT and its metabolites (DDTs), HCH isomers (HCHs), chlordane compounds (CHLs) and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) were determined in sediment, soil, whole body homogenates of resident and migratory birds and their prey items (including fish, green mussel, snail, earthworm, crabs, prawn, lizard and frogs), bird eggs and bats collected from southern India during 1995 and 1998. Accumulation pattern of organochlorines (OCs) in biota was, in general, in the order, HCHs > DDTs > PCBs > CHLs=HCB. Magnitude of OC concentrations increased in the order of sediments < green mussel < earthworm < frog < lizard < fish < bird egg < bats < birds tissues. Biomagnification features of OCs were examined in resident and migrant birds to evaluate the exposure levels of these chemicals in wintering grounds of migrant birds. Accumulation of DDTs in migratory birds during wintering in India may be of concern due to the great biomagnification potential of DDTs. Eggs of some resident species contained noticeable concentrations of OCs. Concentrations of OCs in three species of bats analyzed in this study were lower than that found in passerine birds. In addition to OCs, butyltin compounds were also detected at low concentrations in bats.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. B.G. Loganathan; K. Kannan: Global organochlorine contamination trends: An overview. Ambio 23, 187–191 (1994).

    Google Scholar 

  2. S. Tanabe; R. Tatsukawa: Chemical modernization and vulnerability of cetaceans: Increasing toxic threat of organochlorine contaminants: Persistent pollutants in marine ecosystems. In: C.H. Walker; D.R. Livingstone (eds) Pergamon Press, New York pp 161–177 (1984)

    Google Scholar 

  3. R.L. Clawson; D.R. Clark: Pesticide contamination of endangered gray bats and their food base in Boone County, Missouri, 1982. Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 42, 431–437 (1989).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. T.J. Kubiak; H.J. Harris; L.M. Smith; T.R. Schwartz; P.L. Stalling; L. Trick; D.E. Sielo; P.D. Pocherty; T.C. Erdman: Microcontaminants and reproductive impairment of the Forster’s tern in Green Bay, Lake Michigan 1983. Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 18, 706–727 (1989).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. A.S. Cooke: Egg shell characteristic of gannetsSula bassana, shagsPhalacrocorax aristotelis and great backed gullsLarus marianus exposed to DDE and other environmental pollutants. Environ. Pollut. 19, 47–65 (1979).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. M.G. Barron; H. Galbraith; D. Beltman: Comparative reproduction and developmental toxicology of birds. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 112c, 1–14 (1995)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. S. Tanabe; K. Senthilkumar; K. Kannan; A.N. Subramanian: Accumulation features of polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides in resident and migratory birds from south India. Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 34, 387–397 (1998).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. M.W. Woodcock (ed):Birds of India, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Harper Collins Publishers, London 176 pp (1980).

    Google Scholar 

  9. B. Grewal (ed): Birds of India: Guide Book Co. Ltd., Hong Kong, in conjunction with Gulnohr Press Pvt Ltd., New Delhi, 193 pp (1990).

    Google Scholar 

  10. K.N. Geluso; J.S. Altenbach; D.E. Wilson: Bat mortality: pesticide poisoning and migratory stress. Science 194, 184–186 (1976).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. J.S. Altenbach; K.N. Geluso; D.E. Wilson: Population size ofTadaria brasiliensis at Carlsbad Caverns in 1973. In: H.H. Grnoways; R.J. Baker (eds) Biological investigations in Guadelupe Mountains National Park, Texas. Natl Park Service Proc Trans Ser No 4, pp 341 (1979).

  12. D.R. Clark: Death of bats from DDE, DDT or dieldrin diagnosis via residues in carcass fat. Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 26, 367–371 (1981).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. DJ. Jefferies: Organochlorine insecticide residue in British bats and their significance. J. Zool. 166, 245–251 (1976).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. D.R. Clark; T.G. Lamont: Organochlorine residues in females and nursing young of the big brown bats. Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 15, 1–8 (1976).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. D.R. Clark; A.J. Krynitsky: DDT: Recent contamination in New Mexico and Arizona. Environment 25, 27–31 (1983).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. M.L. Thies; K. Mc Bee: Cross-placental transfer of organochlorine pesticides in Mexican free-tailed bats from Oklahoma and New Mexico. Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 27, 239–242 (1994).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. K. Mc Bee; J. Bickham: Mammals as bioindicators of environmental toxicity. In: H.H. Genoways (ed) Current Mammalogy Vol 2, Plenum Publ. Corp, New York, pp 37 (1992).

    Google Scholar 

  18. P.H. Becker: Seabirds as monitor organisms of contaminants along the German North Sea coast. Helgolander Meeresunter 43, 395–403 (1989).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. J.C. Bernardz; D. Klem; L.J. Goodrich; S.E. Senner: Migration counts of raptors at Hawk Mountain, Pennsylvania, as indicators of population trends, 1934–1986. Auk 107, 96–109 (1990).

    Google Scholar 

  20. T.J. Cade; J.L. Lincer; C.M. White; D.G. Rosenau; L.G. Swartz: DDE residues and eggshell changes in Alaskan falcons and hawks. Science 172, 955–957 (1989).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. L. Castillo; E. Thybaud; T. Caquet; F. Ramade: Organochlorine contaminants in common tern (Sterna hirundo) eggs and young from the Rhine River area (France). Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 53, 759–764 (1994).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. M.A. Mora: Conger-specific polychlorinated biphenyl patterns in eggs of aquatic birds from the Lower Laguna, Madre, Texas. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 15, 1003–1010 (1996).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. M.A. Mora: Transboundary pollution: Persistent organochlorine pesticides in migrant birds of the southeastern United States and Mexico. Environ Toxicol. Chem. 16, 3–11 (1997).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Ramesh; S. Tanabe; R. Tatsukawa; A.N. Subramanian; S. Palanisamy; D. Mohan; V.K. Venugopalan: Seasonal variation of persistent organochlorine insecticide residues in air from Porto Novo, South India. Environ. Pollut. 62, 213–222 (1989).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Ramesh; S. Tanabe; H. Iwata; R. Tatsukawa; A.N. Subramanian; D. Mohan; V.K. Venugopalan: Seasonal variation of persistent organochlorine insecticide residues in Vellar River waters in Tamil Nadu, South India. Environ. Pollut. 67, 289–304 (1990).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Ramesh; S. Tanabe; K. Kannan; A.N. Subramanian; P.L. Kumaran; R. Tatsukawa; Characteristic trend of persistent organochlorine contamination in wildlife from tropical agricultural watershed, South India. Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 23, 26–36 (1992).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. S. Tanabe; F. Gondaira; A.N. Subramanian; A. Ramesh; D. Mohan; P. Kumaran; V.K. Venugopalan; R. Tatsukawa: Specific pattern of persistent organochlorine residues in human breast milk from south India. J. Agric. Food Chem. 38, 899–903 (1990).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. H. Iwata; S. Tanabe; N. Sakai; A. Nishimura; R. Tatsukawa: Geographical distribution of persistent organochlorines in air, water and sediments from Asia and Oceania and their implications for global redistribution from lower latitudes. Environ. Pollut. 85, 15–33 (1994).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. K. Kannan; S. Tanabe; A. Ramesh; A.N. Subramanian; R. Tatsukawa: Persistent organochlorine residues in foodstuffs from India and their implications on human dietary exposure. J. Agric. Food Chem. 40, 518–524 (1992).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. K. Kannan; S. Tanabe; R. Tatsukawa: Geographical distribution and accumulation features of organochlorine residues in fish in tropical Asia and Oceania. Environ. Sci. Technol. 29, 2673–2683 (1995).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. K. Kannan; K. Senthilkumar; B.G. Loganathan; S. Takahashi; D.K. Odell; S. Tanabe: Elevated levels of tributyltin and its breakdown products in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) found stranded along the US Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. Environ. Sci. Technol. 31, 296–301 (1997).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. S. Kan-atireklap; N.T.H. Yen; S. Tanabe; A.N. Subramanian: Butyltin compounds and organochlorine residues in green mussel (Perna viridis L.) from India. Toxicol. Environ. Chem. 67, 409–424 (1998).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. K. Senthilkumar; S. Tanabe; K. Kannan; A.N. Subramanian: Butyltin residues in resident and migrant birds collected from south India. Toxicol. Environ. Chem. 68, 91–104 (1999).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. K. Kannan; K. Senthilkumar; R.K. Sinha: Sources and accumulation of butyltin compounds in Ganges River dolphin,Platanista gangetica. Appl. Organometal. Chem. 11, 223–230 (1997).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. J.D. Hoyo; S.A. Elliott; J. Sargatal (eds):Hand book of the birds of the world vol 3. Lynx editions, Barcelona, 821 p (1996).

    Google Scholar 

  36. S. Tanabe; J.K. Sung; D.Y. Choi; N. Baba; M. Kiyota; K. Yoshida; R. Tatsukawa: Persistent organochlorine residues in northern fur seal from the Pacific Coast of Japan since 1971. Environ. Pollut. 85, 305–314 (1994).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. H. Takeoka; A. Ramesh; H. Iwata; S. Tanabe; A.N. Subramanian; D. Mohan; A. Magendran; R. Tatsukawa: Fate of the insecticide HCH in the tropical coastal area of South India. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 22, 290–297 (1991).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. S. Tanabe; A. Ramesh; D. Sakashita; H. Iwata; D. Mohan; A.N. Subramanian; R. Tatsukawa: Fate of HCH (BHC) in tropical paddy field: application test in India. Intern. J. Environ. Anal. Chem. 45, 45–53 (1991).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Ramesh; S. Tanabe; H. Murase; A.N. Subramanian; R. Tatsukawa: Distribution and behaviour of persistent organochlorine insecticides in paddy soil and sediments in the tropical environment. A case study in South India. Environ. Pollut. 74, 293–307 (1991).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. D.G. Rumbold; M.C. Burner; M.B. Mihalik; E.A. Marti; L.L. White: Organochlorine pesticides in anhingas, white ibises, and apple snails collected in Florida, 1989–1991. Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 30, 379–383 (1996).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. L.M. Hernandez; C. Ibanez; M.A. Fernandez; A. Guillen; M.J. Gonzalez; J.L. Perez: Organochlorine insecticide and PCB residues in two bat species from four localities in Spain. Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 50, 548–563 (1998).

    Google Scholar 

  42. Guillen; C. Ibanez; J.L. Perez; L.M. Hernandez; M.J. Gonzalez; M.A. Fernandez; R. Fernandez: Organochlorine residues in Spanish common pipistrelle bats (Pipistrellus pipistrellus). Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol 52, 231–237 (1994).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. P.P. Dave: India: a generics giant. Farm. Chem. Ind. p-36, (1996).

  44. Y.F. Li; A. Mc Millan; M.T. Scholtz; Global HCH usage with 1X1 longitude/latitude resolution. Environ. Sci. Technol. 30, 3525–3533 (1996).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  45. P.P. Singh; R.S. Battu; R.L. Kalra: Insecticide residues in wheat grains and straw arising from their storage in premises treated with BHC and DDT under malaria control program. Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 40, 696–702 (1988).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  46. K. Senthilkumar; M. Watanabe; K. Kannan; A.N. Subramanian; S. Tanabe: Isomer-specific patterns and toxic assessment of polychlorinated biphenyls in resident, wintering migrant birds and bat collected from South India. Toxicol. Environ. Chem. 71, 221–239 (1999).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. K. Senthilkumar; K. Kannan; R.K. Sinha; S. Tanabe; J.P. Giesy: Bioaccumulation profiles of polychlorinated biphenyl congeners and organochlorine pesticides in Ganges River dolphins. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 18, 1511–1520 (1999).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  48. R.L. Hothem; S.G. Zador: Environmental contaminants in eggs of California least terns (Sterna antillarum browni). Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 55, 658–665 (1995).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  49. W. Scharenberg: Prefledgling terns (Sterna paradisaea, Sterna hirundo) as bioindicators for organochlorine residues in the German Wadden Sea. Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 21, 105–105 (1991).

    Google Scholar 

  50. C.H. Walker: Persistent pollutants in fish-eating sea birdsbioaccumulation, metabolism and effects. Aqua. Toxicol. 17, 293–324 (1990).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  51. M. Gilbertson; T. Kubiak; J. Ludwig; G. Fox: Great Lakes embryo mortality, edema and deformities syndrome (GLEMEDS) in colonial fish-eating birds: Similarity to chick edema disease. J. Toxicol. Environ. Health 33, 455–520 (1991).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  52. M.V. Braun: Ruckstandsanalyses bei fledermausen. Z. Saugetierkunde 51, 212–220 (1986).

    Google Scholar 

  53. J. Nagel (Diss.): Rückstände von Chlorkohlenwassersstoffpestiziden in einer Wochenstube der Zwergfledermaus (Pipistrellus pipistrellus). Z. Saugetierkunde 55, 217–221 (1990).

    Google Scholar 

  54. R.F. Reigenders: Organochlorine residues in adults of six southeastern bat species. J. Wildl. Manage. 40, 677–681 (1976).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  55. K.N. Geluso; J.S. Altenbach; D.E. Wilson: Organochlorine residues found in Mexican free-tailed bats from several roosts. Am. Midl. Nat. 105, 249–257 (1981).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. Kurunthachalam Senthilkumar

    Present address: Institute of Environmental Science and Technology, Yokohama National University, 79-7 Tokiwadai, 240-8501, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environment Conservation, Ehime University, Tarumi 3-5-7, 790-8566, Matsuyama, Japan

    Kurunthachalam Senthilkumar & Shinsuke Tanabe

  2. National Food Safety and Toxicology Center, Michigan State University, 48824, East Lansing, MI, USA

    Kurunthachalam Kannan

  3. Centre for Advanced Studies in Marine Biology, Annamalai University, Porto Novo, Tamil Nadu, India

    Annamalai Subramanian

Authors
  1. Kurunthachalam Senthilkumar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Kurunthachalam Kannan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Annamalai Subramanian
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Shinsuke Tanabe
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Senthilkumar, K., Kannan, K., Subramanian, A. et al. Accumulation of organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls in sediments, aquatic organisms, birds, bird eggs and bat collected from South India. Environ Sci & Pollut Res 8, 35–47 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02987293

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02987293

Keywords

Search

Navigation