Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Status, sources and contamination levels of organochlorine pesticide residues in urban and agricultural areas: a preliminary review in central–southern Italian soils

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

Abstract

Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) are synthetic chemicals commonly used in agricultural activities to kill pests and are persistent organic pollutants (POPs). They can be detected in different environmental media, but soil is considered an important reservoir due to its retention capacity. Many different types of OCPs exist, which can have different origins and pathways in the environment. It is therefore important to study their distribution and behaviour in the environment, starting to build a picture of the potential human health risk in different contexts. This study aimed at investigating the regional distribution, possible sources and contamination levels of 24 OCP compounds in urban and rural soils from central and southern Italy. One hundred and forty-eight topsoil samples (0–20 cm top layer) from 78 urban and 70 rural areas in 11 administrative regions were collected and analysed by gas chromatography–electron capture detector (GC–ECD). Total OCP residues in soils ranged from nd (no detected) to 1043 ng/g with a mean of 29.91 ng/g and from nd to 1914 ng/g with a mean of 60.16 ng/g in urban and rural area, respectively. Endosulfan was the prevailing OCP in urban areas, followed by DDTs, Drins, Methoxychlor, HCHs, Chlordane-related compounds and HCB. In rural areas, the order of concentrations was Drins > DDTs > Methoxychlor > Endosulfans > HCHs > Chlordanes > HCB. Diagnostic ratios and robust multivariate analyses revealed that DDT in soils could be related to historical application, whilst (illegal) use of technical DDT or dicofol may still occur in some urban areas. HCH residues could be related to both historical use and recent application, whilst there was evidence that modest (yet significant) application of commercial technical HCH may still be happening in urban areas. Drins and Chlordane compounds appeared to be mostly related to historical application, whilst Endosulfan presented a complex mix of results, indicating mainly historical origin in rural areas as well as potential recent applications on urban areas. Contamination levels were quantified by Soil Quality Index (SoQI), identifying high levels in rural areas of Campania and Apulia, possibly due to the intensive nature of some agricultural practices in those regions (e.g., vineyards and olive plantations). The results from this study (which is in progress in the remaining regions of Italy) will provide an invaluable baseline for OCP distribution in Italy and a powerful argument for follow-up studies in contaminated areas. It is also hoped that similar studies will eventually constitute enough evidence to push towards an institutional response for more adequate regulation as well as a full ratification of the Stockholm Convention.

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

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Albanese S, De Vivo B, Lima A, Cicchella D (2007) Geochemical background and baseline values of toxic elements in stream sediments of Campania region (Italy). J Geochem Explor 93(1):21–34

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Alves AAR et al (2012) Comparison between GC-MS-SIM and GC-ECD for the determination of residues of organochlorine and organophosphorus pesticides in Brazilian citrus essential oils. J Braz Chem Soc 23(2):306–314. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0103-50532012000200017 ISSN 0103-5053. ATSDR (Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry) 1995. Chlordane (CAS#12789-03-6). http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/tfacts31.pdf (Feb. 26, 2014)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • APAT (Agenzia per la Protezione dell'Ambiente e per i Servizi Tecnici) (2008) Criteri metodologici per l'applicazione dell'analisi assoluta di rischio ai siti contaminati. Revisione 2 APAT, Roma, 156 pp. http://www.isprambiente.gov.it/files/temi/siti-contaminati-02marzo08.pdf

  • Aramendia MA, Borau V, Lafont F, Marinas A, Marinas JM, Moreno JM, Urbano FJ (2007) Determination of herbicide residues in olive oil by gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Food Chem 105(2):855–861

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Arienzo M, Albanese S, Lima A, Cannatelli C, Aliberti F, Cicotti F, Qi S, De Vivo B (2015) Assessment of the concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and organochlorine pesticides in soils from the Sarno River basin, Italy, and ecotoxicological survey by Daphnia magna. Environ Monit Assess 187:1–14

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • ATSDR (Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, USA) (2000) Toxicological profile for endosulfan. ATSDR, Atlanta

    Google Scholar 

  • ATSDR (2017) Chlordane. Full SPL data. Substance priority list (SPL) resource page. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/SPL/resources/index.html. Accessed 6 Oct 2017

  • Barber JL, Sweetman AJ, Van Wijk D, Jones KC (2005) Hexachlorobenzene in the global environment: emissions, levels, distribution, trends and processes. Sci Total Environ 349:1–44

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Battisti S, Caminiti A, Ciotoli G, Panetta V, Rombolà P, Sala M, Ubaldi A, Scaramozzino P (2013) A spatial, statistical approach to map the risk of milk contamination by beta-hexachlorocyclohexane in dairy farms. Geospat Health 8(1):77–86

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bianconi D, De Paolis MR, Agnello MC, Lippi D, Pietrini F, Zacchini M, Polcaro C, Donati E, Paris P, Spina S, Massacci A (2010) Field-scale rhyzoremediation of contaminated soil with hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) isomers: the potential of poplars for environmental restoration and economical sustainability. In: Golubev IA (ed) Handbook of phytoremediation. Nova Science Publishers Inc., Hauppauge, pp 783–794

    Google Scholar 

  • Bidleman TF, Leone AD (2004) Soil-air exchange of organochlorine pesticides in the Southern United States (US). Environ Pollut 128:49–57

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Calvelo Pereira R, Camps-Arbestain M, Rodríguez Garrido B, Macías F, Monterroso C (2006) Behaviour of α-, β-, γ- and δ-hexachlorocyclohexane in the soil-plant system of a contaminated site. Environ Pollut 144:210–217

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cantu-Soto EU, Meza-Montenegro MM, Valenzuela-Quintanar AI, Felix-Fuentes A, Grajeda-Cota P, Balderas-Cortes JJ et al (2011) Residues of organochlorine pesticides in soils from the Southern Sonora, Mexico. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 87(5):556–560

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • CCME (1992) National classification system for contaminated sites. Report # CCME EPC-CS39E. Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment, Winnipeg

  • CCME (Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment). (2007) Soil quality index 1.0: technical report. In: Canadian environmental quality guidelines, 1999, Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment, Winnipeg

  • Cerrillo I, Granada A, Lopez-Espinosa MJ, Olmos B, Jimenez M, Cano A, Olea N, Olea-Serrano MF (2005) Endosulfan and its metabolites in fertile women, placenta, cord blood, and human milk. Environ Res 98:233–239

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cheng Q, Agterberg FP, Ballantyne SB (1994) The separation of geochemical anomalies from background by fractal methods. J Geochem Explor 51:109–130

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cheng Q, Bonham-Carter GF, Raines GL, (2001) GeoDAS: a new GIS system for spatial analysis of geochemical data sets for mineral exploration and environmental assessment. The 20th Intern. Geochem. Explor. Symposium (IGES). Santiago de Chile, 6/5–10/5, pp 42–43

  • Coordination de l'information sur l'Environnement Land Cover (Corine Land Cover, Italy) (2012) http://www.pcn.minambiente.it/geoportal/catalog/search/resource/details.page?uuid=%7BA016A835-D5D8-4089-A9AE-2CC2D74B0C81%7D

  • Corona P, Barbati A, Tomao A, Bertani R, Valentini R, Marchetti M, Perugini L (2012) Land use inventory as framework for environmental accounting: an application in Italy. IForest-Biogeosciences and Forestry 5(4):204–209. https://doi.org/10.3832/ifor0625-005

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Costantini EAC, Dazzi C (2013) The soils of Italy. Springer, Berlin, p 354

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Courtney KD (1979) Hexachlorobenzene (HCB): a review. Environ Res 20:225–266

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dearth MA, Hites RA (1991) Complete analysis of technical chlordane using negative ionization mass spectrometry. Environ Sci Technol 25:245–254

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) (2011) Guidelines for environmental risk assessment and management: green leaves III. Defra and the collaborative Centre of Excellence in understanding and managing natural and environmental risks. Cranfield University, Bedford, p 84

    Google Scholar 

  • DoE (Department of Environment) (1995) A guide to risk assessment and risk management for environmental protection. HSMO, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Donnarumma L, Pompi V, Faraci A, Conte E (2009) Dieldrin uptake by vegetable crops grown in contaminated soils. J Environ Sci Health B 44:449–454

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Endosulfan Preliminary Dossier (2003) Umweltbundesamt, Berlin, pp 55

  • ESRI (Environmental Systems Research Institute) (2012) ArcGIS desktop: release 10. Environmental Systems Research Institute, Redlands

    Google Scholar 

  • Estellano VH, Pozo K, Harner T, Corsolini S, Focardi S (2012) Using PUF disk passive samplers to simultaneously measure air concentrations of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) across the Tuscany Region, Italy. Atmos Pollut Res 3:88–94

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Eurostat (2014) http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Pesticide_sales_statistics.explained/index.php/Pesticide_sales_statistics#Data_sources_and_availability

  • Falandysz J, Brudnowska B, Kawano M, Wakimoto T (2001) Polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides in soils from the southern part of Poland. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 40:173–178

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fan MA, Alexeeff GV (1999) Public health goal for endrin in drinking water. Office of Environmental Health and Hazard Assessment. Environmental Protection Agency, California, pp 5–6

    Google Scholar 

  • Fang Y, Nie Z, Die Q, Tian Y, Liu F, He J, Huang Q (2017) Organochlorine pesticides in soil, air, and vegetation at and around a contaminated site in southwestern China: concentration, transmission, and risk evaluation. Chemosphere 178:340–349. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.02.151

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Filzmoser P, Hron K (2008) Outlier detection for compositional data using robust methods. Math Geosci 40(3):233–248

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Filzmoser P, Hron K, Reimann C (2009) Principal component analysis for compositional data with outliers. Environmetrics 20(6):621–632

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Filzmoser P, Hron K, Tolosana-Delgado R (2012) Interpretation of multivariate outliers for compositional data. Comput Geosci 39:77–85

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gabriel KR (1971) The biplot graphic display of matrices with application to principal component analysis. Biometrika 58(3):453–467

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hron K, Templ M, Filzmoser P (2010) Imputation of missing values for compositional data using classical and robust methods. Comput Stat Data Anal 54(12):3095–3107

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • ISPRA (2014a) Audizione dell’Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale (ISPRA) presso la Commissione Agricoltura, congiuntamente con la Commissione Ambiente, della Camera sul consumo di suolo, Audizione, Roma, 27/2/2014. [Italian]

  • ISPRA (2014b) Il Consumo di suolo in Italia. Retrieved from http://www.isprambiente.gov.it/it/pubblicazioni/rapporti/il-consumo-di-suolo-in-italia [in Italian]

  • ISTAT (2013) Indicatori ambientali urbani, Anno 2011. ISTAT, Roma [Italian]

    Google Scholar 

  • ISTAT (2016) Resident population on 1st January, 2017. https://www.istat.it/en/population-and households

  • Jayaraj R, Megha P, Sreedev P (2016) Organochlorine pesticides, their toxic effects on living organisms and their fate in the environment. Interdiscip Toxicol 9(3–4):90–100. https://doi.org/10.1515/intox-2016-0012.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jennings A, Li Z (2014) Scope of the worldwide effort to regulate pesticide contamination in surface soils. J Environ Manag 146:420–443

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jia H, Liu L, Sun Y, Sun B, Wang D, Su Y, Kannan K, Li Y-F (2010) Monitoring and modelling endosulfan in Chinese surface soil. Environ Sci Technol 44:9279–9284

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jiang YF, Wang XT, Jia Y, Wang F, Wu MH, Sheng GY, Fu JM (2009) Occurrence, distribution and possible sources of organochlorine pesticides in agricultural soil of Shanghai, China. J Hazard Mater 170:989–997

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kim KH, Kabir E, Jahan SA (2017) Exposure to pesticides and the associated human health effects. Sci Total Environ 575:525–535

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Legislative Decree 152/2006 Decreto Legislativo 3 aprile (2006) n. 152, “Norme in materia ambientale”. Gazzetta Ufficiale n. 88 14-4-2006, Suppl Ord n. 96

  • Li XH, Wang W, Wang J, Cao XL, Wang XF, Liu JC (2008) Contamination of soils with organochlorine pesticides in urban parks in Beijing, China. Chemosphere 70:1660–1668

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lima, A., De Vivo, B., Cicchella, D., Cortini, M., Albanese, S., (2003). Multifractal IDW interpolation and fractal filtering method in environmental studies: an application on regional stream sediments of Campania Region (Italy). Appl Geochem 18 (12), 1853–1865. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0883-2927(03)00083-0

  • Mackay D, Shiu WY, Ma KC (1992) Illustrated handbook of physical–chemical properties and environmental fate for organic compounds. Lewis Publishers, Chelsea

    Google Scholar 

  • Manz M, Wenze KD, Dietze U (2001) Persistent organic pollutants in agricultural soils of central Germany. Sci Total Environ 277:187–198

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Maronna R, Martin R, Yohai V (2006) Robust statistics: theory and methods. John Wiley, p 436 ISBN: 978-0-470-01092-1

  • Metcalf RL (1995) Insect control technology. In: Kroschwitz J, Howe-Grant M (eds) Kirk-Othmer encyclopedia of chemical technology, vol 14. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, pp 524–602

    Google Scholar 

  • Mishra K, Sharma RC, Kumar S (2012) Contamination levels and spatial distribution of organochlorine pesticides in soils from India. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 76:215–225

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Moeckel C, Macleod M, Hungerbuhler K, Jones KC (2008) Measurement and modelling of diel variability of polybrominated diphenyl ethers and chlordanes in air. Environ Sci Technol 42:3219–3225

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nizzetto L, Cassani C, Di Guardo A (2006) Deposition of PCBs in mountains: the forest filters effect of different forest ecosystem types. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 63:75–83

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Oppolzer W (1991) Intermolecular Diels-Alder reactions. In: Trost BM, Fleming I (eds) Comprehensive organic synthesis, vol 5. Pergamon Press, Oxford chap 4.1

    Google Scholar 

  • Otero N, Tolosana-Delgado R, Solera A, Pawlowsky-Glahn V, Canals A (2005) Relative vs. absolute statistical analysis of compositions: a comparative study of surface waters of a Mediterranean river. Water Res 39:1404–1414

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pacyna JM, Breivik K, Münch J, Fudala J (2003) European atmospheric emissions of selected persistent organic pollutants, 1970–1995. Atmos Environ 37:S119–S131

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • PANNA (2008) Endosulfan monograph http://www.panna.org/files/PAN%20Int%20Endosulfan%20Monograph.pdf

    Google Scholar 

  • Parlar H, Hustert K, Gab S, Korte F (1979) Isolation, identification, and chromatographic characterization of some chlorinated Cl0 hydrocarbons in technical chlordane. J Agric Food Chem 27:278–283

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pawlowsky-Glahn V, Buccianti A (2011) Compositional data analysis: theory and applications. John Wiley & Sons, p 400

  • Pfaender FK, Alexander M (1972) Extensive microbial degradation of DDT in vitro and DDT metabolism by natural communities. J Agric Food Chem 20:842–846

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pison G, Rousseeuw PJ, Filzmoser P, Croux C (2003) Robust factor analysis. J Multivar Anal 84:145–172

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pozo K, Palmeri M, Palmeri V, Estellano VH, Mulder MD, Efstathiou CI, Sara GL, Romeo T, Lammel G, Focardi S (2016) Assessing persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the Sicily Island atmosphere, Mediterranean, using PUF disk passive air samplers. Environ Sci Pollut Res 23(20):796–804

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Prapamontol T, Stevenson D (1991) Rapid method for the determination of organochlorine pesticides in milk. J Chromatogr 552:249–257

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Purnomo AS, Putra SR, Shimizu K, Kondo R (2014) Biodegradation of heptachlor and heptachlor epoxide-contaminated soils by white-rot fungal inocula. Environ Sci Pollut Res 21(19):11305–11312

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Qiu X, Zhu T, Yao B, Hu J, Hu S (2005) Contribution of dicofol to the current DDT pollution in China. Environ Sci Technol 39:4385–4390

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Qu C, Albanese S, Chen W, Lima A, Doherty AL, Piccolo A, Arienzo M, Qi S, De Vivo B (2016) The status of organochlorine pesticide contamination in the soils of the Campanian Plain, southern Italy, and correlations with soil properties and cancer risk. Environ Pollut 216:500–511

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Qu C, Albanese S, Lima A, Li J, Doherty AL, Qi S, De Vivo B (2017) Residues of hexachlorobenzene and chlorinated cyclodiene pesticides in the soils of the Campanian Plain, southern Italy. Environ Pollut 231(2:1497–1506. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2017.08.100

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reimann C, Filzmoser P, Garrett R (2002) Factor analysis applied to regional geochemical data: problems and possibilities. Appl Geochem 17(3):185–206

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reimann C, Birke M, Demetriades A, Filzmoser P, O'Connor P, GEMAS Team (eds) (2014) Chemistry of Europe’s agricultural soils—part A: methodology and interpretation of the GEMAS data set. Geologisches Jahrbuch (Reihe B), Schweizerbarth, Hannover, p 528

    Google Scholar 

  • Senthil Kumar K, Kannan K, Subramanian AN, Tanabe S (2001) Accumulation of organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls in sediments, aquatic organisms, birds and bird eggs and bat collected from South India. Environ Sci Pollut Res 8:35–47

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Silva MH, Carr WC Jr (2009) Human health risk assessment of endosulfan. II: Dietary exposure assessment. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol 56:18–27

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) UNEP: persistent organic pollutants (2001) http://www.pops.int/documents/convtext/convtext_en.pdf

  • Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) (2005) World wide found, Stockholm convention “new POPs”: screening additional POPs candidates, April 2005, pp 38

  • Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) (2011) http://chm.pops.int/

  • Suchan P, Pulkrabová J, Hajslová J, Kocourek V (2004) Pressurized liquid extraction in determination of polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides in fish samples. Anal Chim Acta 520:193–200

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Szeto SY, Price PM (1991) Persistence of pesticide residues in mineral and organic soils in the Fraser valley of British Columbia. J Agric Food Chem 39:1679–1684

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Templ M, Hron K, Filzmoser P, (2011) Robcompositions: robust estimation for compositional data. Manual and Package, Version 1.4.4

  • Thiombane M, Zuzolo D, Cicchella D, Albanese S, Lima A, Cavaliere M, De Vivo B (2018) Soil geochemical follow-up in the Cilento World Heritage Park (Campania, Italy) through exploratory compositional data analysis and C-A fractal model. J Geochem Explor 189:85–99

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • UNECE (United Nation Economic Commission for Europe) 2010. Convention on long-range transboundary air pollution. http://www.unece.org/env/lrtap/pops_h1.htm.

  • US EPA (1991) Risk assessment guidance for superfund: volume I—human health evaluation manual (part B, development of risk-based preliminary remediation goals). U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC [EPA/540/R-92/003]

    Google Scholar 

  • US EPA (2000) Ultrasonic extraction, test methods for evaluating solid waste, method 3550C, revision 3. US Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  • US EPA (2007) Endosulfan. Hazard characterization and endpoint selection reflecting receipt of a developmental neurotoxicity study and subchronic neurotoxicity study. PC Code: 079401. DP Barcode D338576. Reaves, E., Washington, DC: Office of Prevention, Pesticides a Toxic Substances, US Environmental Protection Agency. April 7, 2007. http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/reregistration/endosulfan/

  • Van Den Boogaart KG, Tolosana-Delgado R, Bren R (2011) Compositions: analysis. R Package Version 1. pp. 10–12. Available at: http://CRAN.R-project.org/package=compositions

  • Villanneau EJ, Saby NPA, Marchant BP, Jolivet C, Boulonne L, Caria G, Barriuso E, Bispo A, Briand O, Arrouays D (2011) Which persistent organic pollutants can we map in soil using a large spacing systematic soil monitoring design? A case study in Northern France. Sci Total Environ 409:3719–3731

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Walker K, Vallero DA, Lewis RG (1999) Factors influencing the distribution of lindane and other hexachlorocyclohexane in the environment. Environ Sci Technol 33:4373–4378

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Weinberg J (1998) Overview of POPs and need for a POPs treaty. Public forum on persistent organic pollutants—the international POPs elimination network

  • WHO (2003) Health risks of persistent organic pollutants from long-range transboundary air pollution. http://www.euro.who.int/data/assetspdf file/0009/78660/e78963.pdf. pp 252

  • Yadav IC, Devi NL, Li J, Zhang G, Breivik K (2017) Possible emissions of POPs in plain and hilly areas of Nepal: implications for source apportionment and health risk assessment. Environ Pollut 220:1289–1300. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2016.10.102

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yang XL, Wang SS, Bian YR, Chen F, Yu GF, Gu CG (2008) Dicofol application resulted in high DDTs residue in cotton fields from Northern Jiangsu province, China. J Hazard Mater 150:92–98

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yang D, Qi SH, Zhang JQ, Tan LZ, Zhang JP, Zhang Y, Xu F, Xing XL, Hu Y, Chen W, Yang JH, Xu MH (2012) Residues of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in agricultural soils of Zhangzhou City, China. Pedosphere 22:178–189

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang ZL, Huang J, Yu G et al (2004) Occurrence of PAHs, PCBs and organochlorine pesticides in Tonghui River of Beijing, China. Environ Pollut 130:249–261

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhou Q, Wang J, Meng B, Cheng J, Lin G, Chen J, Zheng D, Yu Y (2013) Distribution and sources of organochlorine pesticides in agricultural soils from central China. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 93:163–170

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was sustained by the financial support of the MIUR through the following two industrial projects: (1) “Integrated agro-industrial chains with high energy efficiency for the development of eco-compatible processes of energy and biochemicals production from renewable sources and for the land valorisation (EnerbioChem)” PON01_01966, funded in the framework of the Operative National Program Research and Competitiveness 2007–2013 D. D. Prot. n. 01/Ric. 18.1.2010 and (2) “Development of green technologies for production of BIOchemicals and their use in preparation and industrial application of POLImeric materials from agricultural biomasses cultivated in a sustainable way in Campania Region (BioPoliS)” PON03PE_00107_1, funded in the framework of the Operative National Program Research and Competitiveness 2007–2013 D. D. Prot. N. 713/Ric. 29/10/2010 (Research Units Responsible: Prof. B. De Vivo).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth, Environment and Resources Sciences (DiSTAR), University of Naples “Federico II,” Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant‘ Angelo, Via Cintia snc, 80126, Naples, Italy

    Matar Thiombane, Attila Petrik, Stefano Albanese, Annamaria Lima & Chengkai Qu

  2. School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences, Nottingham Trent University, Brackenhurst Campus, Southwell, NG25 0QF, UK

    Marcello Di Bonito

  3. Department of Science and Technology, University of Sannio, via dei Mulini 59/A, 82100, Benevento, Italy

    Daniela Zuzolo & Domenico Cicchella

  4. State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, 430074, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China

    Shihua Qi

  5. Pegaso University, Piazza Trieste e Trento 48, 80132, Naples, Italy

    Benedetto De Vivo

  6. Benecon Scarl, Dip. Ambiente e Territorio, Via S. Maria di Costantinopoli 104, 80138, Naples, Italy

    Benedetto De Vivo

Authors
  1. Matar Thiombane
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Attila Petrik
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Marcello Di Bonito
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Stefano Albanese
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Daniela Zuzolo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Domenico Cicchella
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Annamaria Lima
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Chengkai Qu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Shihua Qi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Benedetto De Vivo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Matar Thiombane.

Additional information

Responsible editor: Hongwen Sun

Highlights

• High concentration of banned organochlorine pesticides in urban and rural soils

• OCP residues in soil are likely related to both historical and recent applications

• DDT and HCH metabolites in soils are mainly related to historical applications

• Slight illegal fresh use of technical DDT and HCH residues mostly in urban soils

• High contamination levels are revealed in agricultural soils of Campania and Apulia

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Thiombane, M., Petrik, A., Di Bonito, M. et al. Status, sources and contamination levels of organochlorine pesticide residues in urban and agricultural areas: a preliminary review in central–southern Italian soils. Environ Sci Pollut Res 25, 26361–26382 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-018-2688-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-018-2688-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation