DDT residues in sediments from the Bay of Bengal
Abstract
DDT is one of the organochlorine compounds characterised by its stability for long periods in the environment leading to marked changes in the aquatic ecosystem. This work aims to assess the prevailing levels of DDT and its metabolites in the sediments from the Bay of Bengal. Peterson grab and hydrographic winch was used to collect the sediment samples. Each sample was extracted and cleaned. Residues were detected by electron capture gas chromatography. A range variation in the concentration of DDT and its metabolites in the coastal sediments is attributed to the influx of huge amounts of pesticides in contaminated waters into the bay through runoff from the river along the east coast of India. Higher concentrations of DDT metabolite DDE was attributed to the degradation of DDT to DDE enhanced by marine benthic organisms and the alkaline nature of the marine system
Collections
- Scholarly literature [8950]