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Spatial and seasonal variations of pesticide contamination in agricultural soils and crops sample from an intensive horticulture area of Hohhot, North-West China

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Abstract

The spatial variability and temporal trend in concentrations of the organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), in soils and agricultural corps were investigated on an intensive horticulture area in Hohhot, North-West China, from 2008 to 2011. The most frequently found and abundant pesticides were the metabolites of DDT (p,p′-DDE, p,p′-DDT, o,p′-DDT and p,p′-DDD). Total DDT concentrations ranged from ND (not detectable) to 507.41 ng/g and were higher than the concentration of total HCHs measured for the range of 4.84–281.44 ng/g. There were significantly positive correlations between the ∑DDT and ∑HCH concentrations (r 2>0.74) in soils, but no significant correlation was found between the concentrations of OCPs in soils and clay content while a relatively strong correlation was found between total OCP concentrations and total organic carbon (TOC). β-HCH was the main isomer of HCHs, and was detected in all samples; the maximum proportion of β-HCH compared to ∑HCHs (mean value 54%) was found, suggesting its persistence. The α/γ-HCH ratio was between 0.89 and 5.39, which signified the combined influence of technical HCHs and lindane. Low p,p′-DDE/p,p′-DDT in N1, N3 and N9 were found, reflecting the fresh input of DDTs, while the relatively high o,p′-DDT/p,p′-DDT ratios indicated the agricultural application of dicofol. Ratios of DDT/(DDE+DDD) in soils do not indicate recent inputs of DDT into Hohhot farmland soil environment. Seasonal variations of OCPs featured higher concentrations in autumn and lower concentrations in spring. This was likely associated with their temperature-driven re-volatilization and application of dicofol in late spring.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the financial support of this research project by the Technology Innovation Fund of Inner Mongolia (2011CXJJN01), the Youth Innovation Fund of Inner Mongolia Academy of Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Sciences (2009QNJJN01) and the Application Technology Research and Development Program from Department of Science and Technology of Inner Mongolia (20110516). We also sincerely thank the anonymous reviewers for their valuable suggestions and comments on this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Environment and Resources, Inner Mongolia University, Number 235#, University West Road, Saihan District, Hohhot, 010021, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China

    Fujin Zhang, Jiang He, Dekun Hou, Cai Jiang & Khureldavaa Otgonbayar

  2. Institute of Environmental Resources and Analytical Technique, Inner Mongolia Academy of Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Sciences, Hohhot, 010021, China

    Fujin Zhang, Yiping Yao, Xinxin Zhang & Caixia Di

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  1. Fujin Zhang
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  2. Jiang He
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Correspondence to Jiang He.

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Zhang, F., He, J., Yao, Y. et al. Spatial and seasonal variations of pesticide contamination in agricultural soils and crops sample from an intensive horticulture area of Hohhot, North-West China. Environ Monit Assess 185, 6893–6908 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-013-3073-y

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