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Residual levels, phase distributions, and human health risks of OCPs in the middle reach of the Huai River, China

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Abstract

Are the residues of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in freshwater in China still of concern after prohibition and restriction for decades? The scarcity of monitoring data on OCPs in freshwater in China over the past few years has hampered understanding of this issue. In this study, water and suspended particulate matter (SPM) samples were collected from the middle reach of the Huai River for OCP analyses. Residues of ∑OCPs in water and SPM ranged from ND to 8.6 ng L−1 and 0.50 to 179 ng L−1, with mean concentrations of 1.7 ± 1.3 ng L−1 and 6.1 ± 31 ng L−1, respectively. ∑HCHs (α-, β-, γ-, and δ-HCH) and ∑HEPTs (heptachlor and heptachlor epoxide) were the most predominant pesticides in the dissolved phase and SPM, respectively, accounting for 43 ± 35% and 27 ± 29% of ∑OCPs. HCHs and heptachlor epoxide mainly existed in the dissolved phase, while heptachlor mainly existed in SPM. The isomeric composition pattern of HCHs in water differed from that in SPM. Briefly, β-HCH dominated in water, while δ-HCH dominated in SPM. However, the composition pattern of DDT and its metabolites in water was similar to that in SPM. o,p'-DDD and p,p'-DDE dominated in both water and SPM. The ratios of α-/γ-HCH and (DDD + DDE)/DDTs indicated that HCHs and DDTs were mainly derived from historical residues. Risk assessments indicated that OCPs may not pose carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks to residents.

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Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (42207283, 42002183) and the Natural Science Foundation of Anhui Province (2108085QD160, 2108085Y15).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Anhui Provincial Engineering Laboratory of Water and Soil Pollution Control and Remediation, School of Ecology and Environment, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui, 241002, People’s Republic of China

    Shanshan Wang, Xiaoguo Wu & Zijiao Yuan

  2. Wuhu Dongyuan New Country Developing Co., Ltd, Wuhu, Anhui, 241000, People’s Republic of China

    Shanshan Wang

  3. Center of Cooperative Innovation for Recovery and Reconstruction of Degraded Ecosystem in Wanjiang City Belt, Wuhu, Anhui, 241002, People’s Republic of China

    Shanshan Wang, Xiaoguo Wu & Zijiao Yuan

  4. CAS Key Laboratory of Crust-Mantle Materials and Environment, School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, Anhui, China

    Shanshan Wang

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  1. Shanshan Wang
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  2. Xiaoguo Wu
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  3. Zijiao Yuan
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection, and analysis were performed by Shanshan Wang, Zijiao Yuan, and Xiaoguo Wu. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Shanshan Wang, and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Xiaoguo Wu.

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Wang, S., Wu, X. & Yuan, Z. Residual levels, phase distributions, and human health risks of OCPs in the middle reach of the Huai River, China. Environ Sci Pollut Res 31, 22012–22023 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-024-32534-4

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